Safe
by EmilyF.6
Summary: When Jacob doesn't stop at a kiss on that day at the beach, there is only one place where Bella feels safe again.
1. Chapter 1

**Yes, I know I have two other stories going. Yes, I know I'm supposed to be doing homework/NaNoWriMo/sleep/school work. Yes, I know this idea has probably been done to death and that several people wanted me to continue with Bad Idea and I'm sorry…really. But I've been writing this for a while and…and...and authors don't get to choose the ideas that won't leave us alone and we just have to write them and if we don't they drive us insane and...well, I hope you enjoy anyway.**

**Friday**

_Bella_

'It hurts.' I opened my eyes, surprised at the thought, but it was true…everything hurt. But why…I looked down at myself, disoriented and confused, then felt a jolt of shock when I found that my shirt was ripped open, and my underwear and pants were around my knees…and suddenly the horrific memories came back. Jacob, grabbing my arm, telling me that he loved me, the way he pressed his mouth against mine, gripping my lower back…then his hands on my shirt, ripping…the pain in my head as he pushed me down onto the ground, the hard rocks digging into my back. 'He raped me.' The thought was involuntary, but I immediately knew it was true. My breath caught and I bit down on my lip hard, looking around wildly at the forest, able to hear the sound of the waves as they lapped at the beach. I couldn't remember blacking out…had no idea if it had been the pain or my mind rejecting the events…but he was gone, I was sure of that. Looking around, shaking so hard my teeth were chattering, I remembered walking with him to the beach…sitting together on the sofa in his house…the food network. I tried to reach down and pull my underwear up, but my hands shook too much and I could only cover my mouth, bringing my knees up and shaking. 'Think.' I ordered myself. 'Stop it…think. I have to think.' This worked sometimes when I was clumsy and hurt myself or when something painful happened…when other kids were cruel when I was little, or when I crashed my bike at ten. 'Think. He raped me. What do I do?'

Forcing my hands to work, I stood shakily, pulling my pants back up and gripping a tree, wincing at the pain when I moved, then leaned on it. 'Help. I need help. I need to get away from here. A doctor…I have to see a doctor…' The thought of letting a doctor touch me made my stomach rebel and I gripped it painfully when my lunch made a reappearance, falling to my knees and trying to hold my hair back, then gasped for breath for a long minute. "Think." I said the word aloud, my voice weak. 'Charlie's gone…fishing with Billy.' I processed this, then tried to stand, using the tree to help me. My father had decided to go on a fishing trip all weekend, leaving me alone at the house. Edward didn't want me to stay alone… My body felt weak and drained and my thoughts were panicked and random. 'Carlisle. He'll know what to do. I need Carlisle.' I wanted my family with a suddenness that surprised me. But I knew that Carlisle's compassion had no end, and Emmett would be glad to fight anything that threatened me, and Jasper would help take the terrible feeling in my chest away, and Edward….no, I didn't dare think about Edward's reaction.

I remembered as I stumbled forward, remembered Edward talking to me. Telling me that I was going to stay with Jasper and Emmett…begging to stay with….I cut the thought off, going back to his words. Emmett and Jasper were home. Carlisle was at the hospital. 'Hospital. I need the hospital.' I wanted to shower. More than anything I wanted to scrub every inch of my body with hot water, remove every trace of the filth that now covered me. 'No…not supposed to yet. Carlisle. Have to talk to Carlisle.' I swallowed, reaching into my pocket with a shaky hand and pulling out the cellphone Edward had given me. I was grateful that he'd programmed his entire family's numbers into it for me. Each of them carried cell phones in case of emergencies so that they could easily get ahold of one another. I looked around, leaning against another tree. I hadn't made it twenty feet, and already my legs shook and my stomach ached and I was dizzy…I slumped to the ground, dialing the house. I didn't care who answered. It could be Rosalie and I would take it. I just wanted someone to help me.

"Hello?" Emmett's voice was nearly curt…it was how they always answered their home phone. People so rarely called them….

I tried to keep my voice steady, but he must have heard the desperation in it. "Emmett?" I choked out.

"Bella?" His tone changed, moving from distant to concerned in half a second. "Bella, are you okay?"

"No." I felt a sob building in my chest and tried to stop it. "Can you come get me? Please?" I begged, putting a hand over my mouth when the tears began to fall again.

"Where are you?" He asked immediately, and I heard Jasper's voice somewhere in the background.

"La Push." I cried harder, knowing he couldn't get to me. Knowing that he was forbidden to come here and not caring. "Please. Please, Emmett."

"Where? Where in La Push?"

"First Beach." I heard him swear, loudly, and heard Jasper mumble something.

"Can you get to the border, Bella? Or closer to it?" I cried in earnest then, rocking back and forth, my mind rebelling at the thought of running into him again…or any of his pack. They must have known…must condone it if they'd allowed it. I'd come to think of them as my friends. A knife twisted in my chest.

"I can't." I whimpered, shaking my head and knowing that Emmett couldn't see me. He swore again and a different voice came on the phone, this one a little calmer, his calm seeming to leak into me, and his voice was gentler than I'd ever heard him.

"Bella, are you with Jacob?"

"No." I sobbed. To his credit, his voice never wavered…his patience didn't run out.

"Can you get to him? To give you a ride?"

"No! No no no…" I shook harder, sobbing the word over and over until he interrupted me, his voice a little surprised.

"Bella, did Jacob…did he do something to you? Did he hurt you?" He didn't actually say it, but the implication was there and I wondered if I could die from shame.

"Yes." I choked out the word and wrapped my arm around myself, shrinking against the tree, then forgot about shame when I thought of him coming after me again. "Please, please don't let him hurt me again, Jasper." I pleaded. For all I knew, Jasper didn't even like me very much. He certainly did his best to keep his distance. But I would beg if he would just help me.

"Sh Bella. I won't." His voice was cold now, the fury evident. "We're coming. Listen. We're going to hang up, and call you from my cellphone. We'll stay on the line with you after that, okay?"

"Mmhm." 'They're going to get me. They're coming to take me away from here. I just have to wait a little longer. Then I'll be safe.'

"Okay. I'm just going to hang up for a second." I heard the line go dead and hit the end button on my phone. It wasn't a full second later that he called me back and Jasper's voice was back in my ear. "Bella, are you there?"

"Mhm."

"Good. Okay we're on our way. Listen, can you try to get closer to the border? Do you know the way?"

"I can't. It hurts." I whimpered, shaking my head. There was dead silence for a moment, and I heard a snarl on the other end.

"It's alright darlin. Just stay where you are. We're coming to get you, then we're going to get you to Carlisle, okay?" I cried softly, looking around the woods fearfully.

I was vaguely surprised when he kept speaking to me, his voice soft and gentle, and it reminded me of how he would soften when he looked at Alice. But he continued, assuring me that they were close, telling me that no one would hurt me again, promising to get me to Carlisle as soon as they got here.

"Okay, Bella, Emmett's on the phone with Carlisle. He's going to meet us…Sam will probably let him cross the border to get you, alright?" I didn't answer, biting my lip hard. I was making Carlisle leave work. I was causing him trouble. And what would he think of me now? "Bella? Darlin, are you there? Bella?" His voice grew urgent and I hummed in agreement, not able to speak through my tears. He continued to speak, his deep voice soothing me as I heard wind rush by on the line, until finally it came to an abrupt halt and I heard a door slam.

There were other voices then, tense, angry ones, and I wondered what was going on. 'What if they won't let them get me? What if Sam says no?' I shook with the cold, resting my head on my knees once more and sobbing. "Bella?" Carlisle's voice came from the phone now, and I wondered vaguely how he'd met them so quickly. I felt a rush of relief and tried to wipe my face quickly. "Sweetheart we're outside of La Push. Are you there?"

"Carlisle?" I chocked out, my jeans damp with tears, my body aching as I realized that I was probably covered in bruises.

"I'm coming, Bella. We have to talk to…Sam." He kept the phone to his ear, and I heard Jasper speaking to the alpha wolf.

"We just want to get Bella." I could imagine Jasper's calming influence as it wrapped around everyone present. "She called us…she asked us to come and get her." I leaned my head back against the tree, my face wet as I tried to curl tighter into a ball without causing my muscles to cramp. "Bella?" Jasper's voice was once again in my ear. "Listen they're letting Carlisle come, and Sam's going with him… Bella?" I managed a little noise and heard him sigh. "It's okay darlin. He should be there in a minute."

The sound of rustling in the woods made me gasp, my arms going around my knees, and I rested my head on my them, tears streaking down my face as I did my best to stop crying. I didn't want to see Sam…or anyone else. I couldn't bear the thought of facing him. I just wanted my family. Any of them. Hesitant footsteps approached, and I froze, tensing and praying that Carlisle would show up soon. But the hand that reached out and brushed against my arm was ice cold, and I looked up into his face.

Sam stood beside him, his face grim, but I only saw Carlisle, his hand hesitantly moving to touch my face. "Sweetheart? Talk to me Bella." He requested quietly.

"Carlisle…" I felt another tear fall down my face as I dropped the phone and gripped his hand. He moved closer then, sitting next to me and holding me close. 'Safe.' My entire body seemed to relax then and I began to sob in earnest, clutching his shirt in my hands as tightly as I could.

"Oh sweetheart." He murmured in a quiet, pained voice. "I'm going to get you to the hospital, okay? Come on." He carefully moved a hand under my knees and lifted me, moving so quickly that I barely noticed. He was as cold as Edward, but I couldn't bring myself to care even as I trembled.

"Was it Jacob?" Sam asked quietly, keeping his distance. I managed a shaky nod, although I didn't move from Carlisle's chest where I cowered from him. "Did he…" I wondered at his long pause. "Did he rape you, Bella?" Sam asked, his voice turning gentle, and I nodded again, clutching his shirt even tighter. I didn't want to talk to Sam…I didn't want to talk to anyone. I just wanted to shower and curl up in a dark room and sleep until it didn't hurt anymore.

"I've got to get her looked at. Thank you, Sam." Carlisle kept me angled toward him, my chest pressed against his so no one would see my exposed bra.

"Will she file a police report?"

Carlisle had his arm around my back and rubbed his thumb back and forth in soothing, continuous motions. I focused on that instead of his words. "I'll speak to her about it later. I don't think she's up to it right now."

"She doesn't have to go through the legal system if she doesn't want to. We'll take care of him." Sam promised grimly. "He hurt a human. There are…procedures for this." Carlisle held me closer.

"I will get in touch with you when she knows what she wants to do." Then we were moving so quickly I felt the wind whip by me until I could feel Jasper's calm wrap me like a quilt. They were speaking…I could feel it in Carlisle's chest, but I couldn't hear any words until he finally spoke up.

"Jasper, will you drive my car? She hasn't let go and I don't want to make her…Emmett you can take your jeep home if you like."

But I didn't want Emmett to go…I wanted both of them…my giant bear-like protector who was more than a match for a werewolf, and Jasper, cunning and military like in his planning, a fierce fighter from what I'd seen as he sparred with Emmett. They were both strong and fast and would protect me. "I'm staying with her." Carlisle sighed.

"Bella, do you want them to stay? You can say no if you want. No one's feelings will be hurt. They understand."

I nodded my head against his chest. "Please." I chocked out. "Stay."

A large hand touched my back and it took me a second to force myself to unstiffen, realizing that the hand was cold. But he didn't pull away. "We won't leave you, Bella. Not if you want us here. I'll ride with you."

"What about your jeep?" Carlisle asked as he climbed into the backseat, keeping me balanced on his lap.

"It's just a stupid toy." He snarled in a choked voice, climbing into the passenger seat. Carlisle's thumb swept under my eye as Jasper started the car, turning the heat up until I could feel the warmth.

"Shh, it's alright sweetheart. We're going to the hospital." He soothed me, wiping the tears as they fell.

_Emmett_

I crossed my arms, glancing anxiously back at the little human in my father's lap every few seconds. She was pale, and I could smell blood. I tried my best not to think on it, focusing instead on her shaking form as she held tightly to Carlisle. She wanted us with her…she trusted us, even after having her trust broken. She'd called us first, not her own father, not the police, not any kind of emergency medical service. She wanted us. I could understand it. She always watched us with awe when we sparred, her own weak eyes trying to follow our too-quick movements, and I could understand her thoughts. She knew we could protect her. But the fact that she trusted us to do so…

She cried out, curling up on Carlisle's lap when Jasper turned onto the main road, hitting a pothole, and I watched my brother flinch, his teeth clicking when they came together. I'd seen his face go from pale to bone white and his lips curl up around his teeth, his entire body stiffening when she'd told him she couldn't get to the border…that it hurt. I'd felt his fury lash out, the deep snarl building in my chest in response. He'd hurt her. That mongrel had caused her such pain that it hurt her to walk. My body stiffened now just thinking about it, my muscles tightening as I readied myself to tear the dog apart. Carlisle murmured to her, just loud enough for her to hear, promising to get her something for the pain, promising to keep her safe….promising anything just to keep her calm.

I felt Jasper's fury again and flinched when it was projected, then hastily pulled back. He wouldn't want Bella to feel that. He loved her. I knew that just like I knew that I loved her. He kept his distance, sure that she would be wary of him after her birthday party…even if he had voted to change her, but I knew that he would do anything to protect our little human sister…yes, I did think of her as my sister. She was going to be, soon enough. Although it felt like only days ago she'd come into our lives, I knew that we wouldn't be able to let her go now. I glanced back at her again, wishing I could hold her like Carlisle was, wishing that I could let her know that she was completely safe now, that I wouldn't let anything hurt her. If the other dogs didn't kill Jacob Black, then I would. Then again…Edward might have to be given that privilege.

I swore mentally when I remembered Edward and mumbled his name aloud. "Will Alice have seen?" I asked, too quietly for Bella.

"Now that we've gotten away from the wolves, probably." Carlisle answered in the same tone. "I'm going to get her examined regardless…probably by a female doctor…we may need to sedate her. She's going to break down completely if we're not careful. She's coping incredibly well considering. I'll speak to Edward when he comes to the hospital. He's going to be…"

"Murderous." I finished for him wryly, looking at her once again, and noticed that Jasper was doing the same, driving just as quickly as always but being careful to avoid any more bumps in the road. "How is she?" I asked my brother who closed his eyes for a second.

"Terrified. In a lot of pain. Just short of in shock. How do you think?" He snapped, his voice almost too loud, and Carlisle gave him a warning look, rubbing Bella's back. I shrugged out of my jacket, handing it back to Carlisle who wrapped it around her shoulders where her blouse was ripped open. "What kind of sick..." He trailed off, clenching his teeth and shaking his head, focusing once more on the road. "I'm doing my best to keep her calm…taking the edge off the panic. But she feels safe with you holding her, Carlisle. And when she found out we were staying, it helped. She doesn't want us to leave her."

"Who's leaving her? I'm never letting her out of my sight again." I mumbled, shaking my head. "But neither will Edward."

"She's afraid of him." Jasper warned softly when I said his name.

"Why? Did he do something to her?" I asked, ready to rip my brother to shreds if he'd dared…

"No of course not…it's not exactly fear _of_ him…I can only guess she's afraid of his reaction."

"His reaction will be to destroy the wolf if he can get his hands on him."

"She's probably going to blame herself for this." Carlisle told us softly. "Most victims of this kind of assault do. If Edward isn't careful, he could make her believe that he blames her, or that he no longer wants her because of this."

"And if he does that, we'll be down a brother." I growled. Jasper grinned faintly, right before his phone chimed in his pocket. He pulled it out, checking it and sighting before answering.

"Where is she?!" Alice's voice was panicked and he glanced at the girl once again.

"We have her. We're on our way to the hospital. Carlisle wants to talk to Edward before he can see her."

"Edward's already at the hospital…he left as soon as he saw…but why…is she…."

"Shh, Alice." He consoled her softly, pulling into the parking lot away from Edward's car we all spotted immediately. "She'll be okay. Carlisle's going to get her checked in. We're here." I stopped listening, jumping out and opening Carlisle's door.

"Emmett, can you hold Edward off…keep him outside. I'd like Jasper to come with us…maybe he can stand outside her door when they're examining her. Keep her calm?" Jasper had already hung up his phone and was nodding, moving to stand next to me and staring at Bella hesitantly.

"I'll go get Ed. Get her inside." Carlisle nodded his thanks and the two of them hurried inside with my baby sister.

_Jasper_

Her emotions were overwhelming as we entered the hospital, and I did my best to soothe them. Shame and embarrassment were the worst…and they hurt me the most. It was bad enough the monster had hurt her like this…I could see the bruises forming on her exposed arms and knew that there were more. I could smell the blood, slightly stronger than before, and knew that he'd handled her so roughly that she'd bled. The thought made it necessary to suppress a snarl. It was bad enough how he usually treated her; manipulating her until she felt that it was her fault he was harboring this unrequited obsession with her…that it was her responsibility to make him happy, as though she didn't have a family or a boyfriend or a life of her own. He put himself above her, his own needs before hers, and I could feel how it frustrated Edward to know that she fell for it. I didn't blame her…it wasn't her fault that she was trusting and naïve…though probably not anymore. But the thought of how that had been stolen from her…

I took away the embarrassment. I wouldn't allow it…wouldn't allow that dog to make her feel as though she were at fault for this. The pain, the fear…those were harder. I could calm her…make her feel secure. I could wrap it around her like Carlisle had Emmett's jacket, a barrier around her to protect her. I could ease the shock and sorrow that was just under the surface. She'd never seen this coming…never suspected that Jacob would do this to her. Of that, I was certain. I followed Carlisle through the halls, into a patient room and shut the door behind me as he lay her in the bed as gently as he could, flinching when she did, closing my eyes when she curled into a ball on her side.

"Bella, a nurse is going to come in and get you ready to see a doctor, okay?" She nodded, her expression bordering on vacant, and I fought against the shock, trying to bring her back to full awareness. "We need to have you examined, sweetheart. To make sure you aren't hurt. And then run some tests. Would you like me to examine you, or a female doctor?" She glanced up at him and once again I took every trace of her embarrassment. If she felt more comfortable with Carlisle, she would _not_ be embarrassed or too ashamed to ask. I could give her that.

"Female. Please." She mumbled finally, closing her eyes again as she curled into a tighter ball. He glanced at me, then took her hand.

"Alright sweetheart, that's perfectly fine. I'll get one of my colleagues to take care of you. Now, do you want a sedative? It will help you stay calm and relaxed during the exam, and that will help with the discomfort." She nodded immediately, still clutching his hand. "Okay, Bella. I'll go speak to the doctor. I'll be right back. Jasper will stay if you like." She nodded again and he touched my shoulder as he passed me.

"Jasper?" She asked quietly, watching me from where she lay on the bed in the fetal position.

"Hey, darlin." I mumbled, breaking my own rule of no contact and touching her hand, a little surprised when she gripped my hand in her own.

"Will you stay?" She asked, her small form quaking, and I nodded.

"Of course I will. I'll wait outside the whole time if you want. You're safe, Bella." She nodded at that, finally allowing herself to close her eyes. "Just rest. We'll take care of you, and then we'll get you home."

When a nurse opened the door, I squeezed her hand once more, then started to move back, watching painfully when her eyes flew open and moved to watch the young woman standing in the doorway. "Hey, I'll be right outside that door. Carlisle's around too. Just call if you need me, okay?" She looked at me for a long time, her hand clutching mine as though I would disappear, and I heard the nurse approach slowly.

"Bella? I'm Vanessa." To her credit the woman didn't seem intimidated by me. "I'm just going to give you some medicine to help the pain. And you wanted a sedative, right?" She nodded, still holding tightly to my hand. "Alright. You don't have to change into a gown if you don't want to. Dr. Thomas will be right in to look at you." She spoke calmly, and I admired her courage, deciding to stop glaring at her as though she would attack at any moment. "Is this your boyfriend?" She asked, and I chuckled when Bella wrinkled her nose.

"Brother." I felt a jolt, but didn't dare let my shock show on my face.

'Brother? She thinks of me…as her brother?' I rubbed my thumb against the back of her hand. 'Well then, I'm her brother.' I thought fiercely.

"Would you like him to stay until the doctor arrives?" She started to nod, then glanced at the tray with the needle in the woman's hand, then back at me.

"Is it okay?" She asked, her eyes wary. For a moment I thought she was afraid of me…then realized that I was wrong. She didn't want to hurt me. I swallowed hard, crouching by her head.

"It's perfectly fine, darlin. I'll stay right here." I promised, bringing up a hand to cup her cheek. The nurse eyed me for a moment, her emotions mostly surprised or confused, then took Bella's other hand. I calmed her when she would have stiffened or jerked away. I'd feel the panic myself before I allowed her to suffer. She winced when the needle slipped into her skin, and I could tell the difference between Carlisle's technique and this woman's. Of course I could hardly fault her, but the fact that Bella was now in more pain didn't help my emotional state. She pushed the plunger and injected the medicine into Bella's arm, then repeated the procedure, apparently injecting her with the sedative this time, because Bella's hand loosened around mine and she seemed to calm, her breathing evening out.

There was a knock on the door and a woman, probably around Charlie's age, stepped into the room, took in my position by Bella's head, and her eyes softened, as did her emotions. "Thank you Vanessa. Hello, Bella. And you must be Jasper, Carlisle's son?" I nodded, reaching out and shaking her hand as I stood beside Bella. "Are you staying with her?"

"She wants me to wait outside." I squeezed Bella's hand, running my thumb over the back of her hand, wincing as I took in her muted emotions, then passed the doctor and stood in the hallway, leaning against the wall across from the door. I hated seeing her like that…feeling her like that. I hated that her emotions were suppressed and that she was incapable of feeling anything…hated seeing her eyes dim and feeling her hand go limp in mine…hated seeing her so defenseless. I wanted to hold her. I was surprised at the thought…I usually kept my distance, although that was completely for her benefit, or safety rather. I would have loved to get to know her, and maybe one day I'd have a chance. But for now, I was forced to keep my distance. I knew that Edward blamed me in some part for her birthday party, and I was sure that she did to. After all, I'd ruined her life for months….

I flinched when I felt a twinge of pain from her, fear and shame and terror all suppressed by the drugs in her system, and I took away the lingering remains as Carlisle came to stand next to me. "Edward is in the waiting room."

"Emmett restrain him?" I asked, my voice dull to my own ears.

"In the parking lot…we finally got him to calm down. He's not handling it well…"

"Well he can suck it up." I snapped. "If he's going to hurt her…."

"Jasper." Carlisle's gentle voice was reproving and he placed a hand on my shoulder. "I know you care for her, Jasper." That was a surprise…I did my best to keep my distance. "She's very fond of you, you know."

"She told the nurse I was her brother." I chocked out. Carlisle's arm moved around my shoulders and I was pressed against his side.

"She loves you." He told me kindly. "She loves all of us, and she's going to need us, you and Edward especially. You can help her like no one else can." I nodded, my head going to his shoulder. "I know why you try to stay away, but you must know that we don't blame you…" He trailed off when I gave him a cold glare, stiffening under his arm. He sighed, apparently not willing to press the point. "They sedated her, and the exam should only take an hour at the most, so we'll get her home as soon as we're done here. Her father won't be home until Monday, so she'll stay with us for the weekend." He paused, looking over at the door once more. "She called the house first thing, she allowed us to touch her, she wanted me to hold her…those are all good signs. She was capable of thinking. I don't believe she's suffering from PTSD as we see in many cases. She'll be okay, Jasper."

"He won't." I glanced over at the double doors at the end of the hall. "He's going to be inconsolable. You know he'll blame himself for this. Although it _was_ irresponsible to allow her to spend time with werewolves." Carlisle shook his head.

"There's no _allowing_ her to do anything, Jasper. He's not her father. We have no right to forbid her anything." He sighed. "Although she will _not_ be going back to La Push if I have anything to say about it."

"I doubt she'll want to."

_Bella_

I felt like I was in a daze that I couldn't quite escape. I felt hands touching me, and couldn't feel much of anything about it. A woman was speaking to me in a kind voice, pricking me with a needle and drawing blood, gently feeling my sides and hips, examining the bruises on my arms and legs. It felt like I lay there for days, unable to have any kind of emotional response to what she did. But finally she gently helped me slip back into my pants and replace my ripped shirt, zipping Emmett's giant jacket over me to cover the front, and I lay back in the bed, curled on my side. It didn't hurt so badly anymore, but I just wanted to sleep.

I heard the deep murmur of voices once more and felt a cold hand on my arm. "Bella?" That was Carlisle. I tried to tell him hello…to thank him…but my mouth didn't quite work and I was so sleepy. "Go ahead and sleep, sweetheart." Another jacket was draped over me, this one smaller than Emmett's and I realized it must have been Jasper's. "Emmett and Jasper are going to take you to the house, alright?" I tried to nod a little, felt myself scooped into strong, stone arms, and let my head loll against a hard shoulder.

"Okay, Jasper?"

"I'm fine." His voice sounded sad, and I wished I could ask if he was okay…but already the blackness was appearing at the edge of my vision. I closed my eyes, not fighting it anymore.


	2. Chapter 2

**Yes, I should be writing a paper….or two. But I finished one and wanted to update this story really quick, just so you all know that I plan on continuing it. Thank you so much to guest reviewers Pipi 96, Blue Bird 13, AnneCullen, Carla, and Rhonda. To answer some questions: I will not be putting any explicit/graphic rape scenes in this story. I find them unnecessary and uncomfortable. Also, I will continue this story until it is complete, although I do not anticipate it being a long story. **

**Finally, I will not forget about People Will Talk or Wrecked. I'm just super busy for the next 2 weeks. I will be updating People Will Talk probably over Thanksgiving break, along with Wrecked. Bad Idea is complete at the moment, and will stay that way unless I decide to continue it eventually. It was written as a two-shot and is marked complete. **

**Thank you all for reviewing and I hope you like it. **

_Carlisle_

I placed a cup of fresh coffee on the counter in front of me as I flipped through the chart in my hands. A young man needed some minor surgery after a car accident. A thirteen year old girl had appendicitis….that had already been taken care of. I placed that chart on the counter, gesturing for one of the interns that followed me around to take it. I was sometimes given a little flock of interns who would watch me in surgery and ask questions, and I didn't mind, but it did require me to waste a lot of coffee. They were otherwise unable to believe that I was so easily able to stay awake all night and morning and all of the next day, especially since it was nearly impossible for me to feign exhaustion. I sometimes slipped away for an hour and pretended to sleep on the sofa in my office, but usually I just carried around a cup of coffee and was grateful that they were all too tired to notice that I never drank from it, although I sometimes worried about their own coffee intake.

I glanced up at the clock on the wall, mentally checking the surgery board I'd glanced at earlier. I had a good hour and a half before I had anything scheduled. Most of the interns were hoping to get in on this surgery, and I knew that I probably should choose one or two to assist and let the rest watch from upstairs…and I needed to finish up some paperwork. 'I can always have one of them do it…' Of course, I knew they wanted to be practicing medicine and performing surgeries, but they needed to learn the bureaucratic side to it as well. Another doctor was working in the emergency room today…but I had time to see if they needed any help…I hadn't had a page in a while, so I figured it would be a slow day. The hospital in Forks wasn't exactly busy anyway, but I was glad to be able to help as much as I could. On days when we were too slow for me to be of any assistance, I had plenty of time for personal research.

I looked up at the crowd of young doctors around me, ready to assign one or two of them, but something buzzed in my pocket, making me pause. Pulling the phone out, I lifted an eyebrow in surprise at Emmett's name on the screen even as I flipped it open. My children knew that I was at work. If they were calling me in the middle of the day, something was wrong. I mentally placed my family before I greeted him, my mind whirring. Esme, Rosalie, Alice, and Edward were hunting. Emmett and Jasper were probably at the house…it was a Friday but the school was closed for some break. Bella was with Jacob and the wolves on the reservation. "Hello?" I greeted my son softly, stepping away from my interns who watched me in varying degrees of surprise. I rarely took calls at work…mostly because people rarely called me.

My son's voice was anxious and I could tell he was in a car. "Carlisle, it's Bella. She's hurt, and we've got to get to her. She's on the reservation."

Immediately I stiffened in worry. "Define 'hurt' Emmett." I ordered softly, drifting absently toward the double doors that led to the corridor. If there was blood involved, I would have to go, or send an ambulance. No…I would go. I couldn't risk having Jasper or Emmett near her when she was bleeding…too dangerous, and I couldn't leave her in the hands of strangers. If she'd sprained or broken something, then Emmett or Jasper could get her, or have Jacob bring her to them, and as soon as they got to he hospital I could take care of her…with plenty of pain medicine on hand. 'Or maybe I should meet them…with pain medicine for her.' I hated the idea of her being in pain for any longer than was strictly necessary.

He hesitated for a long second, and I could hear Jasper's quiet murmur in the background. "We think Jacob…." There was a long pause and I held my breath, terrible possibilities racing through my mind.

'Did he phase and hurt her? Is she bleeding to death?' Sam Uley's girlfriend, Emily, passed through my mind, and I winced at the thought, wishing they had allowed me to help her, then shoved the thought aside. 'Is it a major injury? Or did he just allow her to fall? Did she sprain something…break her leg? What could Jacob have done that would have upset my sons so much?!'

Emmett finally sighed, speaking one more, and I realized that only a few seconds had passed. "We think he raped her." Emmett nearly whispered the words. I closed my eyes, my hand clenching into a fist at my side as my entire body went rigid. My jaw tightened, my teeth pressing tightly together as I tried to process that as quickly as possible. Dismissing all of my murderous thoughts toward the young werewolf, I immediately switched into professional mode…or as close as I could get to it at the moment.

"I'm on my way. Do not go without speaking to Sam first." I ordered sharply, turning to an intern who moved closer as I held the phone away from my ear for a moment, speaking to her sharply. "Tell the chief I had to leave. Family emergency." She nodded, hurrying to follow my terse command as I raced toward my car. "I will meet you at the border." I told him as I climbed into my car, starting it quickly, and speeding out of the parking lot. As much as I knew we needed to get to Bella, I knew that if Emmett or Jasper were to get caught trespassing and were hurt as well, or if the treaty was broken, then that would only cause us additional troubles, especially if we had to move to avoid a fight with the wolves. 'Not again….we are _not_ leaving her again.' "She called you?" I clarified. I was closer to the border than my sons, and was almost there thanks to my car's ability go nearly as fast as I could. 'But we'll need the car…don't want to risk carrying her. Someone might see.'

"Yeah…she called the house and asked us to come and get her. Jasper's on the phone with her now." I felt a little relief at that, despite my son's agonized tone. At least she wasn't trying to hide what had happened and covering for him...she needed medical attention as soon as possible, and I could only hope that she would allow us to help her. I couldn't examine her, or allow another doctor to examine her, against her will, nor would I want to, and I hoped that her calling Emmett was an indicator that she would not be afraid to let me help her medically. I cursed myself for not grabbing some pain medication and knew that I didn't have any with me in the car. She would need some. She was sure to be in pain, and I closed my eyes at the idea, then pushed my own feelings away. I had to get to her, and I needed to help her. That was all I allowed myself to think about as my car idled at the border between La Push and Forks.

I leapt out of my car as Jasper and Emmett reached the border where I sat, and they followed suit, their expression fierce and furious. Some wolf must have been patrolling the border and alerted him, because Sam approached from the woods as Jasper handed me his phone and focused on calming the atmosphere. I held the phone to my ear for a second while Jasper spoke to Sam, and I could hear her uneven breathing…she was crying. "Bella? Sweetheart, we're outside of La Push. Are you there?" I heard her sniff on the other line and longed to pull her into my arms and comfort her…this child that I saw as my own little girl…I wanted her in my arms, safe.

"Carlisle." I clenched my jaw at her broken voice, aware that she must be in an unimaginable amount of pain, mental and physical.

"I'm coming Bella. We have to talk to…" I glanced up when the wolf came closer to my sons and stepped forward, keeping an eye on him. He was arguing quietly when Jasper cut him off. "…Sam…" I trailed off, finishing my statement a little absently.

"We just want to get Bella." Jasper told him firmly. "She called us…she asked us to come and get her." He was nearly pleading as he filled the area with calm and persuaded the wolf with his gift. Emmett was standing close by, obviously ready to try force if persuasion didn't work. I moved closer, unsurprised. Emmett had personal experience with this, and he'd probably rip Sam to pieces if he thought it would get him to Bella more quickly.

"Only one of you." Sam relented, looking at me briefly. "The doctor can go…I'll go with you." I nodded, not caring who would be going with me, and tossed the phone to Jasper, not listening as he explained to Bella what was going on. Instead, I raced across the border and toward the beach, easily picking up Bella's scent.

I found her in a ball on the ground, her head resting on her legs, her shirt ripped open. With my enhanced eyesight, I could see the places where he'd grabbed her, dark handprints and other bruises appearing all over her arms, shoulders, and even her neck. I froze for a second, feeling my lips curl back as I suppressed a hiss of fury. 'He touched my daughter. He hurt _my_ daughter!' I shoved the thoughts aside. 'Medical help. You are allowed to think about getting her medical help and comforting her.' I told myself firmly, mostly because I could smell his scent in the area and knew how easy it would be to trace it.

I knelt down beside her, noticing how she hadn't yet acknowledged my presence...how her body trembled as she cried. I hesitated, knowing from experience how devastating the consequences were, especially mentally, for rape victims. Reaching out, I brushed my hand against her arm, my heart clenching when she looked up hesitantly, tears streaming down her face. Both of us ignored Sam standing behind me. I moved my hand to her face, her hot cheeks, covered in tears, warming my own cold hand. "Sweetheart? Talk to me Bella." I urged her softly, and her breath caught.

"Carlisle." She sobbed my name and gripped my hand. Forcing my expression to remain gentle, I scooted closer to her, pulling her against me while she cried, feeling her hands fist in my shirt.

"Oh sweetheart." I whispered, rocking her gently. "I'm going to get you to the hospital, okay? Come on." Lifting her as gently and as quickly as I could, I angled her toward my chest as she curled up against me, cowering in my arms. Sam, the fierce alpha of the pack of werewolves that hated me, looked suddenly like a young boy, the same age as Emmett when he'd been changed, frightened and worried and infinitely sad.

He only asked her a question or two, assuring me that they would take care of Jacob, but my mind was occupied with the girl in my arms. 'I need to get her to the hospital. She needs to be checked over. Then home…to bed.' Alice or Esme would help her shower later, but I would have her examined first. There would be no need for a rape kit. Either Sam would kill Jacob or I would.

* * *

I crossed my arms, watching my son carry Bella out the door. Edward would stay here with me and I would discuss with him the basics of what had happened. Anything more than that would have to come from Bella. But first _I_ needed to know what had happened. I turned to Dr. Thomas, a woman I'd worked with since arriving in Forks. I'd met her grandfather briefly during our first stay here…another doctor and a drunk unfortunately. But she was kind, a woman that often worked with young girls in this situation, which was why I'd gone to her after dropping Bella off and leaving Jasper to guard her. Although I seriously doubted anyone would try to hurt her here, I wasn't about to risk it, and it made Bella feel more secure if one of my sons was nearby, so that was enough for me.

She placed the file on the table, sighing and sitting on the hospital bed. I watched her anxiously, wishing for Edward's talent….or even Jasper's. "Do you know who did it?"

"Yes, although I haven't been able to speak with her about it yet. She confirmed that it was an old friend of hers." The older doctor shook her head, sighing and folding her hands in her lap.

"That poor child." She said softly, biting her lip. "Well, there was vaginal penetration, and I'm assuming no condom was used because we were able to collect fluids…although that's not a sure thing. There was some tearing, but it's not extensive. She's covered in bruises…I believe she has a minor concussion. Her back is bruised as well. It didn't feel like any of her ribs were fractured…but he obviously pushed her quite roughly to the ground and she's going to be sore."

"I have an X-ray at my home. I'll double check." I told her in a strained voice, ignoring her knowing smile.

"Yes, I know you do. You care a great deal for that girl, Carlisle. Everyone here knows that. I'm so sorry about this." I closed my eyes for a second. "Your son was wonderful with her. They seem very close." I wished. Oh how I wished my son could be close to her without hurting himself. I wished that Jasper could spend time with her like he wanted…get to know her. But he was so sure that she blamed him…that she feared him. "Have you spoken to Edward?"

"No…he's down in the waiting room."

"He'll have to be careful Carlisle. I'm not sure how serious their relationship is…"

"Very." I offered wryly, letting her draw her own conclusions.

"Well, he could help her heal more quickly…or he could damage her even further."

"I plan on speaking to him as soon as I've looked over her file." She nodded.

"I already made you a copy, just don't tell anyone. I've taken blood work to check for pregnancy and samples for any kind of disease or infection. She's going to need plenty of rest for a day or two, make sure she takes in plenty of fluids and watch her diet…" The woman pointed a stern finger at me. "Make sure she eats."

I managed a small smile. "I _am_ a doctor, Carol."

"You're not a day over thirty, Carlisle Cullen. You learn to listen to your elders." She snorted, shaking her head and walking out the door, leaving Bella's file on the bed, and I would have laughed aloud had I not been too worried about my son's mate.

"Elders." I mumbled, shaking my head as I opened the file.

I found Edward in the waiting room, or rather his essence carved in stone. His jaw was locked, his arms crossed, his eyes fixed on the floor in front of him. The three chairs on either side of him were empty and I could see why. He was emanating rage like Jasper had been in the car. I could almost taste his fury. "Edward." I spoke softly as I stepped through the double doors, inclining my head toward the doors behind me, and in a fluid motion, he was following me, his hands still clenched into fists. We made our way in silence to my office, shutting the door behind me, and I quickly closed the blinds and moved to stand in front of the shelf of awards on the back wall. I didn't particularly value them, but if he was going to start throwing things, then I preferred they not shatter. People might ask questions.

"She's okay." I decided that starting with that would be my best bet. He didn't relax an inch. "She called for help. She allowed a doctor to examine her. She experienced no signs of PTSD or panic attacks. The physical damage…" I broke off when Edward snarled, his teeth bared as he glared at me. I crossed my arms, waiting for his temper to cool. I could best most of my children in a fight, although I'd never needed to seriously restrain them. But Edward wasn't thinking clearly right now. "If you don't calm down, I cannot allow you to see her. No, do not look at me like that. She's emotionally unstable right now Edward."

"He. Raped. Her." He growled at me, leaning forward, arms stiff at his sides.

"Yes. I am aware." I forced my voice to remain even. "Edward, I'm as upset as…I'm upset as well." I hastily corrected myself. I had no idea how he was feeling…no man had ever forced himself upon my wife. But they had my daughter…two of them now. "But she needs you, Edward. She needs you to reassure her, to make sure that she knows you don't blame her."

He stared at me, horrified. "Blame her! She thinks…"

"We don't know." I stressed every word, speaking calmly in the hopes that it may rub off. "But in many cases, the victims of rape blame themselves, and I've seen more than one case where the significant other blamed them as well, going so far as to break off the relationship because their wife or girlfriend, or boyfriend in some cases, had been with another man." He swallowed hard, the unnecessary action apparently calming him because he took a deep breath.

"I could never…"

"I know, Edward. You just have to make sure she does. We'll need to keep a close eye on her this weekend when she's staying with us. Her father is out of town and I'd rather she be the one to tell him about this. In the mean time, we will all be in the house. Have you spoken to Alice?"

"She's at the house with Esme. Rosalie went off on her own so I'm not sure where she is now. Maybe Emmett got a hold of her."

"I'm going to take her X-rays when she wakes up. I want her to get some rest first. I'll be home all weekend, but you must help me watch her. If her appetite drops or if she shows signs of depression or self harm, we'll have to think about different treatment options." I reached out, touching my son's arm. "We'll be with her the whole way, Edward. Sam is going to deal with Jacob, and if that does not work, we will." I promised. "We're not putting her through a legal battle. If Sam doesn't destroy him, one of us will." I'd made up my mind about this. I wasn't going to let Jacob Black get away with hurting one of my children. Not like this.

_Bella_

I woke gradually, my mind lagging behind as the pain medication and sedatives began to wear off. I opened my eyes finally to find myself Edward's bed, although Edward wasn't in the room. My knees were against my chest and my arms wrapped around them. To my surprise, it was Jasper who was sitting next to me in a chair, his eyes tracing the words of Wuthering Heights, his expression bordering on distaste. "You like this book?" He asked softly, his voice incredulous although he didn't look up, and I managed to uncurl a little, calmed more by his demeanor and his presence than his gift. He sat between the door and me, but even if something were to crash through the window, I would be fine…he was close enough to take care of it. I was safe.

"Yes." I spoke, making my voice defiant. "It's my favorite." He grimaced, shrugging and placing it on the floor. "You've only read, like, ten pages!" I cried, noticing the place where it was open on the ground, and he grinned.

"Yeah well, it hasn't exactly been a thrilling ten pages." He stated to reach out, his hand heading for my head, but paused when I stiffened, my eyes closing as I flinched. A second later, however, his hand ruffled my hair and I opened my eyes to find his usual lazy grin in place.

"Alice is dying to see you." He informed me. "I told her to wait until you woke up, so she'll probably break down the door if I don't tell her to come on in. You up for it?" I hesitated, glancing at the door, then back at Jasper. He sighed then, placing his elbows on his knees and leaning forward, looking at me where I was propped up by the pillows. Reaching out, he gripped one of my hands slowly, giving me plenty of time to pull away. I didn't.

"What is it darlin?" Jasper asked using that soft tone he'd used at the hospital.

"Is he mad?" My voice was nearly a whisper. His eyes narrowed in confusion and I swallowed. "Did you tell him?" His eyes widened then.

"Edward?" He asked incredulously, never letting go of my hand or pulling away as I gripped his hand.

I nodded. "Is he mad at me?" I whispered, hating that my eyes were filling.

"At _you_? No, of course not. Why would he be mad at you, Bella?"

I shook my head helplessly. "I…did I lead him on, Jasper? I didn't mean…I just wanted to be friends but I knew he didn't and…"  
"Whoa Bella. Let's get something straight, okay?" He knelt down, touching my face and gently wiping under my eye with his thumb. "It does not matter what you did." He told me seriously. " It does not matter if you knew he wanted more than your friendship and it doesn't matter how clear you were about your feelings for him. You did _not _want him touching you and you made that clear. Right?" I nodded, tears coming faster now as I remembered.

"I told him to stop…I told him no." I sobbed, biting my lip hard until his hand gently coaxed my jaw to relax. "I didn't want…"

"I know. You told him no. And he didn't listen. That was not your fault. No matter how hard you fought or didn't fight, no matter what else you said or did, you told him no and he didn't listen. He had no right to hurt you. He is the only one at fault Bella. Edward knows that…so does everyone else. Okay?" I managed a nod and his hand moved down my back, carefully rubbing circles between my shoulder blades. "Do you want to see Alice? She's worried, you know?" I nodded a little and he moved to stand, waiting until I relinquished his hand to pull away. "I'll be downstairs with Emmett, Bella. Just call if you need us." I nodded, sitting up a little and drawing my knees to my chest.

_Alice_

Jasper stepped through the doorway, but I barely greeted him, rushing through to grab Bella's hand, making a conscious effort to slow my movements when she flinched. 'He raped my sister. My new little sister…my best friend.' I squeezed her hand, moving to kiss her pale cheek, and gently moved her hair out of her face. "Hey." I whispered, making my voice softer than normal. "How about a shower, and I'll get you some more comfortable clothes, and then I can tell you all about our hunting trip. Okay?" She hesitated, staring at me warily for a moment, then nodded a little and I moved back, placing a hand around her back and helping her stand. Apparently the pain medicine was wearing off because she flinched, leaning heavily against me for a moment. I helped her to the bathroom attached to Edward's room, his locked door a sign to everyone to stay away, and helped her undress, trying not to focus on the bruises that were beginning to develop all over her body, especially on her back.

She held on to the bar on the side of the tub and I decided to just go ahead and step into the shower with her, the spray from the shower head not bothering me as I helped her wash, coating her beautiful hair with shampoo and supporting her while she washed herself. She didn't speak, only nodded when I asked if the water was warm enough for her, or let me maneuver her under the spray as we rinsed her hair. Finally we climbed out of the tub, and I wrapped her in a towel, quickly drying myself and slipping into a new set of clothes, then began to dry her hair. She began to shake slightly then and I paused, my hand moving down to her shoulder as she trembled. "Hold on, Bella. Let's get you dressed, okay?" She covered her mouth with her hand, nodding a little, and I hurriedly helped her slip into some pants and an oversized shirt, running a brush through her still wet hair, then giving up when she began to sob.

"Oh, Bella…." I knelt in front of her where she sat on the toilet lid, touching her face. "I'm sorry, Bella. I'm so sorry. I didn't see…" She shook her head, leaning forward until her head rested on my shoulder, and I reached out, carefully lifting her and carrying her into Edward's empty bedroom, then moving her back under the covers. She curled into a ball under the blankets, rocking herself back and forth as she cried, and after debating for a second, I climbed into the bed in front of her, pulling her into my arms. I had no idea what to say. What could possibly make this better? Her future was a blur, a thousand decisions and possible reactions making it impossible to see what I was supposed to say…so I didn't say anything.

I could hear the others downstairs. Emmett and Jasper were angrier than I'd ever seen them and were, from the sound of it, in the living room. The TV was so low that I could barely hear it from Edward's room on the third floor, but I could hear Emmett pacing, so I figured he wasn't watching. I could see Rosalie…still hunting, oblivious to all of this. Esme, who'd returned home with me as Edward had raced toward the hospital, was in the kitchen, dithering around, and from the smell of it, she was making soup. Esme took her role as the mother of this family seriously, and when it came to Bella, food tended to be her answer. It gave her something to do…something to focus on.

Edward was going to be destroyed by this. Everyone knew it. He would be torn between killing Jacob and never leaving Bella's side again. I knew Carlisle was keeping him at the hospital at the moment, speaking to him about the physical repercussions for Bella, and I couldn't imagine how much this hurt. To my knowledge, no one had ever attacked me in this way, and even if they did now, I was strong enough now to fight back. But Bella…she'd stood no chance against Jacob. There was nothing she could have done, even had her mind accepted the situation and allowed her to fight. I rubbed her back gently, wishing I could soothe her, wishing I could stop her tears.

The door downstairs opened and shut quietly, and I could pick out the scents of Edward and Carlisle. "Carlisle." Esme's voice was broken and pained, and I could only imagine that he pulled her into his arms as he did for us when we called out to him like that.

"Alice has her in your room." I wondered why my husband spoke aloud, but could only guess it was for my benefit. I glanced down at the girl in my arms and knew that she was awake, but when I looked at her face, her eyes were dull and glassy even as they leaked tears. Running into the bathroom and back, I ran a cool washcloth over her face, wiping at the tears.

"Bella?" I knelt beside her, touching her shoulder over the blanket. She looked up at me dully, still curled in her ball. "Edward is here…he want's to see you. Do you want me to let him in?" She closed her eyes and began to cry harder, and I wondered what I was supposed to do. "He's worried about you, Bella. He just wants to see you. But it can wait if you want." I leaned forward, cupping her cheek and saying her name once more, trying to get her to look at me. "Do you want to see him?" She opened her eyes, obviously torn, so I made the decision. "I'm going to let him in. If you want him to leave, I'll be downstairs. Just call for me." I stood, turning and going to the door and opened it just enough to let myself out, then shut it behind me, coming face to face with my brother.

I couldn't remember ever seeing Edward look like that…his eyes were cold and anguished and his jaw was clenched, his hands in tight balls at his side. There was nothing I could say to him either…nothing I could hope to say to comfort him. Stepping forward, I wrapped my arms around my brother, resting my head under his chin, and feeling relief when he returned the gesture, holding me close with his hands against my back. "Alice…" He choked out my name and I felt him sob. Shaking my head, I rubbed his back.

"She'll be okay. You can help her." I tried to reassure him. "If anyone can help her, its you, Edward."

"My fault." He choked out. "I took her over there…I left her with that…monster."

"You didn't know." I whispered, glad Bella couldn't hear us. "You couldn't have…either of you. None of us ever imagined he would…we would have never let her go if we had…you know that." He nodded, taking a deep breath and composing himself before releasing me, stepping back and staring at the door, his face grim. "Just be careful, Edward." I warned before flitting around him and down the stairs where I found Carlisle with his arms around a sobbing Esme, and Emmett and Jasper stiff in the living room, staring at the door as though anxious to fight off a werewolf at any minute. I sat on the sofa by myself, slumping forward and putting my head in my hands. Sensing my breakdown, Jasper was at my side immediately, pulling me into his lap and surrounding me with his love while I cried into his shoulder. I felt the sofa dip and knew that Emmett was sitting beside us, his hand on my back.

I didn't even glance up when Rosalie approached the house and came in through the front door, freezing when she saw all of us. But when Emmett stood and walked over to her, catching her arm and looking down into her concerned eyes, I managed to lift my head, watching her reaction as he murmured in her ear. The girl seemed to pale, her breath catching and a hand flying to her mouth as she shook her head. Pulling her against his chest, Emmett held her. I didn't bother mentioning what I so wanted to…that she didn't even like Bella…that she all but hated the poor girl. No one would understand Bella's pain like Rosalie. I wasn't about to make her feel worse.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I'm glad you all seem to like the story. NaNoWriMo is complete, and I'm coming to the end of the school year, so hopefully updates will be slightly more frequent :) **

**Thank you to Samantha 1987, Night 4, AnneCullen, and Carla. I appreciate your reviews :)**

_Edward_

I knew, when I'd finally let go and allowed myself to fall for a human, that she wasn't nearly as strong or durable as I was, or as my family. And I knew that Jacob, especially since his transformation, was nearly as strong as me. Of course I'd always known that Bella, while a strong person with a stubborn streak that could usually handle herself, was a magnet for trouble, and that were she put in a situation where she was threatened physically, she would _be_ in trouble. She wasn't trained in self defense…not enough to be of any real use. She wasn't fast enough to run away, and she was clumsy enough to make running away more of a hindrance than an advantage. She was small and fragile, to me anyway. More than that, I'd known that Jacob liked her, and that he wanted to confess his feelings for her today.

So I berated myself now for never thinking the worst of Jacob, of never guarding against the possibility that, in the face of rejection, he would force himself upon her. I had so often worried that he would, in a moment of anger, transform and hurt her without meaning to. So many times I'd imagined the scenario…the frantic phone call, a race to save her life as she bled out…but this was…well I wasn't sure if it was worse or not. Carlisle had showed me the charts, going over the very basics while I'd felt my body grow more and more tense as I was unable to block the images of her in my mind…the way she'd curled up on his lap, clinging to him…how he'd found her in the woods…my mind tried to imagine how she'd received the injuries he listed off and I thought I would lose it. It was bad enough that he manipulated her, professing to love her and then forcing her to bend to his will. But this…I had never imagined Jacob Black would be capable of this.

She was curled up on the bed, the scent of her tears mixing with the sweet scent of flowers she usually gave off…and blood. Always blood. But it was stronger now, and that fact alone made me want to rip something apart. But I remembered the girl on the bed, the way she curled her body in a weak attempt at protecting herself, how her face was wet with tears…I wouldn't be the cause of her tears. I would be strong, if only for her. Moving forward slowly, I sat on the bed, then lay beside her, not touching her just yet.

Her eyes flew open, growing from startled to anguished and sorrowful and fearful all at once, and I reached out, barely touching her cheek. "Bella?" I called out to her, rubbing the skin under her eye. "Love?" She began sobbing all at once, that word apparently too much for her, but just when I thought she wanted me to leave, I was able to make out her words, whispered frantically over and over.

"Sorry. I'm sorry. Please I'm so sorry, Edward. I didn't want it. Please, I'm sorry." Ready to start sobbing myself, I pulled her into my arms, shushing her and rubbing her back. It took every ounce of effort not to stand, to call for Emmett or Jasper or Carlisle to stay with her and run, run all the way to La Push where I knew I would find him. I would kill him slowly, relish every second of it. I would tear him to pieces…but then I would hear his thoughts. I flinched. I didn't want to…didn't know if I could handle it, knowing exactly what he'd done, seeing her face and hearing her screams as she fought…or seeing her tears as she'd stopped, her body shutting down as she went into shock. Either way, I knew I couldn't handle knowing…I wasn't strong enough for that. But Emmett and Jasper…they were.

"I love you." I murmured, kissing her forehead, needing to say those words. "Shh, Bella, you don't have to be sorry. You didn't do anything love. This wasn't your fault. If anything it was mine." I kissed her again, holding her closer. "I'm so sorry, Bella. I shouldn't have left you with him…I should have known…I am so sorry." I met her eyes when she looked up at me, her eyes still leaking tears that I wiped away. "Don't ever think I blame you for this, Bella. There is only one person at fault here…maybe two if you count me. But never you." She seemed to go limp in my arms; finally relaxing her tight ball a little to move closer to me, gripping my shirt in her hands.

I felt her start to drift to sleep and knew that she needed it. The fact that she hadn't argued about me being at fault attested to the fact that she was exhausted. Carefully, I slipped my arm under her pillow so that she was resting on my shoulder, and wrapped my arms around her. If she started to get cold, I would find her another blanket. But I needed to hold her. I needed to feel that she was safe. Carlisle entered the room after a few minutes, his arms crossed tightly across his chest as he watched her. 'She wanted you to hold her?' He asked silently, shutting the door and approaching the bed. I nodded.

"She doesn't seem to want to let go." The words made me smile a little before I was abruptly reminded of why she would want me close.

'She was the same with us. Jasper said that having himself and Emmett nearby made her feel safe.'

"She's seen them fight...I can understand that. She knows they're capable of protecting her…that we all are. She still trusts us." I spoke with some difficulty.

"That's a good thing, Edward." Carlisle spoke aloud now, sitting beside me and placing his hand on my shoulder. "That she can still be around people…that she can tolerate being touched. This could have been a lot worse." I clenched my jaw, not even wanting to consider that. This was bad enough. "Sam called...the pack is going to kill Jacob." He told me softly. "They are going to take care of it, regardless of our feelings. We have no idea how that will affect Bella. So she's going to need us, Edward."

"I'm never leaving her again. I'll take her hunting if I have to." Carlisle gave a grim smile.

"That's probably not the best idea. But from now on, when you need to hunt, either myself, Emmett, or Jasper can stay and keep an eye out for her." Bella stirred a little in my arms, flinching a little in her sleep, and for once I was glad I couldn't read her mind…couldn't watch her dreams. I didn't know if I could handle knowing exactly what he'd done. But she stilled after a moment, mumbling my name and snuggling against me. I closed my eyes, a pained sob breaking from my throat as I held her against me, kissing her forehead. He squeezed my shoulder gently, his thumb rubbing back and forth on my arm, but I couldn't stop. Reaching down, he pulled me against him, gently removing Bella's hands from my shirt. "Come on, Edward. Emmett's standing outside…he'll stay with her." He pulled me away from the bed, holding me tightly against him. "Come on, Edward."

* * *

_Emmett_

I watched as Carlisle led Edward down the hall and into his own bedroom where Esme joined them, shutting the door behind them. I'd left Rose with Alice, and Jasper was sitting with both of them. Although Alice was upset, I don't think anyone understood quite like Rosalie. She'd all but collapsed against me, her hands gripping my shirt as she'd begun to cry. I knew she didn't particularly like Bella, nor did he agree with the decisions the girl was making, but if anyone could be sympathetic toward our new little sister now, it was my wife. It made me clench my jaw, my muscles tightening in fury when I thought of what had been done to her…to both of them. And I hadn't been there to protect either of them. But when Bella had called…when she'd pleaded with me to save her… I shook my head. I wanted Jacob Black dead, and I wanted to be the one to do it.

I'd been the first to think that maybe Edward would need a minute with our parents after something like this, so I'd hurried upstairs, shouting mentally that I would watch after her. As soon as they were out of the way, I hurried to the sleeping girl's side, sitting on the bed beside her, reaching out and touching her face. She whimpered in her sleep and I took her hand, which gripped my shirt. "Shh, Bella. I'm right here." I soothed her, reclining on the bed beside her, taking up Edward's position with an arm under her head and another around her back.

She began to stir at around five, her fingers tightening around my shirt and then loosening, her eyelids fluttering. I listened for Edward but could hear nothing and could only assume he was still with Carlisle and Esme. "Bella?" I asked softly, giving her some warning about whose arms she was in, and the girl stiffened, pulling away a little. "It's me, Bella. Emmett. You're okay." She looked up at me for a moment, then relaxed once more in my arms, her head resting on the pillow on my arm. "How are you feeling?" I asked, my hand gently rubbing her back, and she shrugged, closing her eyes again. Unsure of how I was supposed to proceed, I just held her for a moment, letting her rest. "I think Esme made you some soup. Are you hungry?" She didn't reply and I closed my eyes, feeling actual pain when I smelled her tears once more. "Shh, Bella. It's okay." I tried to comfort her. "Don't cry, Bells…I've got you. You're safe." I felt like my words fell on deaf ears, so I only held her tighter. "I'll keep you safe." I swore quietly, wishing that I could be the one to kill Jacob Black.

I was suddenly reminded of Rosalie…of how I would find her in those early days when I'd just been changed…laying on the bed, curled in a ball, her arms around herself as something reminded her of that night she'd been saved by Carlisle. She never talked about it, but I knew how it hurt her to remember. The first time I'd only stood in the doorway, my arms crossed tightly. I was strong. Stronger than any other vampire they'd ever met, but I couldn't protect her from this. And Bella, sobbing into my shirt, was no different. I couldn't protect her…not from what had already happened. But the second time I'd found Rosalie like that, I'd forced myself to step forward, sitting next to her on the bed, my hand on her back. Then I'd held her for hours while she'd clung to me. After that, I'd never let her cry alone again. And now…I would do the same for Bella, because I knew how painful this was for Edward.

"Sorry, Emmett." She choked out, her body starting to relax a little.

"Nope." I said softly, rubbing her back. "No apologizing. Not for this, Bells. I've got you. You're okay." Her tears slowed and she looked up at me with red-rimmed eyes. "Esme wants to see you…she has food for you. Do you think you can eat?" She sniffed, nodding a little, and I stood, helping her sit up against the pillows, then placing another behind her back. "I'm going to go downstairs, okay? But Esme's here." Esme opened the door as I spoke, a bowl of soup in her hands. Bella bit her lip, looking down at the blanket, and I reached out to wipe her cheek only to pause when she flinched.

"Sorry." She mumbled once more, and I shook my head, pretending I wasn't bothered, and ran my thumb under her eye.

"I thought I told you to quit apologizing." I scolded her, ruffling her hair. "Eat, Bella. I'll be downstairs with everyone else."

* * *

_Bella_

Esme didn't hesitate. She put the bowl of soup and a glass of water on the nightstand and pulled me into her arms, my own going around her neck and holding on tightly. I figured I had finally cried as much as I could, because I just let her hold me, sniffing occasionally. "I love you, sweetheart." She said softly, rubbing my back. "We all do. So much. Okay?" She pulled back and I nodded, my teeth pressing into my lips. "And we are going to help you through this. You are going to be okay." She reached up, touching my cheek. "If there is anything you need to talk about, you can come to me, alright?" I swallowed hard, not wanting to think about it. I didn't want to talk about it…didn't want to talk to anyone. "Carlisle said that you might need another dose of pain medicine." She gestured to a bottle she'd brought up with the soup and water. "Would you like some now?" I nodded, thanking her quietly when she handed me two pills, then the glass of water. I swallowed them, hoping they would start working soon...the pain made me remember…

Esme sat beside me, placing the bowl of soup in my lap, then leaned back against the headboard while I began to eat slowly. If she ever was impatient or upset with my slow pace, she didn't complain, only stroked my hair as I swallowed mouthful after mouthful of her delicious soup. When I finished, she put the bowl on the nightstand and kept her arm around me. "Is there anything you want to talk about, Bella?" I shook my head, closing my eyes and resting my head on her shoulder. "Okay, sweetie. Go ahead and rest then." I think she kept talking, but I blocked her words, focusing only on my own breathing and the feel of the blankets on top of me until I drifted off.

Someone's arms wrapped around me. I froze, whatever dream I'd been drifting through falling away, and all I knew was that someone was holding me tightly and I was scared. 'Not again.' I thrashed in the arms that tried to restrain me, crying out, praying that someone would come. 'Please, don't let him hurt me again, please! Who helped me? Who saved me last time?' I fought harder, ignoring the soft voice that tried to reach me. "Emmett!" I screamed his name, remembering how he'd held me. "Jasper! Carlisle!" My throat ached and the bruises on my body throbbed and my head pounded…but I had to get away. "Edward! Please!" My voice broke into a sob then, and the hands released me, calm going up against my panic and driving it away.

"We're here. It's okay, Bella. It was a dream, darlin. C'mon. Open your eyes." I did, looking desperately around the room to find Jasper kneeling beside me, his hand on my shoulder. "You're safe here, Bella." He promised, thumb rubbing up and down my arm. "No one can hurt you, darlin. It's okay." He continued to soothe me. "Okay?" I swallowed, nodding as I tried to catch my breath, then looked around. Who had been…

Edward stood in the far corner, his jaw and hands clenched tightly, his eyes shut as he literally trembled. 'He tried to hold me.' I realized. 'And I fought him…' I shook my head, horrified at myself, but Jasper reached over and caught my hand.

"Shh, Bella. It's okay. We understand. Just give him a minute." He soothed, wiping my cheeks where more tears had fallen. "He didn't mean to startle you." I shook my head.

"I didn't…I didn't know." I choked out, looking over at Edward who had yet to look at me. "Please…I'm so…" Before I could get the words out, Edward was by my bed once more, taking the place that Jasper had quickly vacated, moving to stand by the door.

"Don't apologize." He pleaded, touching my face. "Please, Bella, don't apologize to me." He shook his head, swallowing hard. "I…I'm sorry for startling you, love. I didn't think…I'm sorry."

I started to refute him…to say that it was my fault, but something in his eyes made me pause…this was tormenting him. He honestly thought he was at fault, and brushing him off wouldn't help. "It's okay. Not your fault." I said softly, capturing his hand, and he smiled faintly. Moving slowly, he sat on the bed beside me, and I realized that Jasper had left at some point. "Can…can you lay down with me?" I asked softly. He stroked my face with his knuckles, slowly moving down to lay beside me over the covers, then rested his hand on my side. "Okay?" I didn't want him to be so hesitant around me…I didn't want him to think he couldn't even hold me, although the thought of anything more was too painful to even consider. But I gripped his shirt in my hand, scooting closer, and sighing in relief when his arms wrapped once more around me. This was nothing like Jacob, I reminded myself when my body would have stiffened. 'Edward wouldn't hurt me…I'm safe here.' I took a deep breath of his scent, the sweet, unique smell they all had, and, wrapped securely in blankets and his arms, fell asleep once more.

* * *

_Jasper_

I leaned against the door next to Emmett, waiting for Edward and Bella's emotions to calm. Bella fell asleep slowly, wrapped in my comfort and Edward's arms, and I wondered if it was the medicine or the trauma that was causing her to sleep so much. Edward…he wasn't calming. "She thought I would hurt her. She thought I was him." I winced at my brother's words.

'I can sit with her.' I offered, but he knew my brother wouldn't accept. Instead, I pushed some of my calm at Edward.

"Don't bother with me, Jazz." He mumbled, but I shook my head.

'You're hurting too, Ed.' I could feel it…literally. The anguish was pouring off my brother in waves. 'He didn't just hurt her.' I couldn't begin to imagine how I would feel…finding out that Alice had been hurt like that. Learning it after the fact, then trying to comfort her, only to have her panic as soon as I tried to hold her. It was bad enough watching it happen to my little sister. 'If you ever need me to stay with her, I will.' I promised silently, glancing over at Emmett who still stood in the hallway anxiously, his arms crossed tightly across his chest.

We'd both been downstairs when she called for us, screaming our names in panic. It had taken only milliseconds to reach her door. Now Alice joined us, stepping up to my side and gripping my hand. Her emotions were all over the place…mostly pain and fear. Her sister was hurting and she didn't know what to do. Esme stood in the doorway to Carlisle's office, her head against his chest, her shoulders shaking as she cried. His face was grim as he wrapped his arms around our mother, his lips against her head. A second later, Rosalie appeared, and I moved over a little, letting her lean against Emmett's side, her serious gaze on Edward's bedroom door. Her emotions were heavy and frightened, and I winced in remembrance of her story. I'd never gotten the full story...Emmett had given me a vague, general overview, and she certainly never spoke of it, but I could only imagine how this would made her feel...well, actually I knew exactly how she _felt. _ What I couldn't know was what she thought about it. But her actual emotions went back and forth between shame and fear and pain...I reached out, the tips of my fingers brushing against hers, physical contact making my gift more effective as I tried to soothe her.

"What do we do?" Alice choked out, looking over at Carlisle desperately. "How do we help her?" Carlisle sighed, stroking Esme's back, then glanced over at me.

"She's sound asleep. Her emotions are peaceful…I'm keeping them that way. That should keep the nightmares away." He nodded, and I could nearly taste his and Edward's gratitude.

"Charlie will be home Monday, so today and tomorrow, she will stay with us. Or, if she'd rather stay at home, one of us, along with Edward, if she wants, can stay with her there."

"But…Carlisle. What can we _do?"_ He smiled faintly at Alice who obviously needed to be actually doing something. I put an arm around her, kissing the top of her head.

"I know you all want to be actively doing something to help, but honestly recovery from this takes time, and there isn't any particular thing we can do to help. We can stay with her…Jasper, you said that having us around made her feel safe?"

I nodded. "You, Emmett, and me especially, although she's trying with Edward." Carlisle nodded. "She knows we can protect her." I explained quietly to Esme who nodded, her head still on Carlisle's shoulder.

"If she wants to talk, we listen. If she doesn't, we stay with her as much as she wants. If she wants to be alone, then we leave her alone. Every ounce of control she had was taken from her." He said softly, his voice dropping so that only we could hope to hear. By the feel of Edward's emotions, I knew he was listening too. "Now we're going to show her that she has control over her life once more, while still having our protection." He sighed, glancing at the door, and then at Rosalie who was staring at the floor. For a moment, his emotions were regretful...worried. I tried to soothe him as well, and he gave me a slight smile before continuing. "It hasn't been a problem yet, although she was frightened by Edward…she was okay with being touched when I found her, and she was held by all three of us…and Alice, you helped her shower. But you must be careful when touching her, and not be offended or hurt if she doesn't want you to touch her. It often triggers flashbacks in rape victims when people touch or grab them suddenly." He reached out, catching Alice's hand and squeezing quickly. "We all love her, and consider her a part of our family, no matter what. The most important thing is that she knows that." Alice nodded, still against my chest, but glanced up with the rest of us when Rosalie dropped Emmett's hand and disappeared down the hall. I looked over at my brother who closed his eyes, crossing his arms tightly, and leaned against the doorframe.

* * *

_Edward_

She had to force herself to relax in my arms, and I began to rethink killing Jacob…no, I couldn't. I didn't want to be in the same room with the monster, couldn't chance seeing those images in his mind... but I wanted him dead. Either of my brothers would do it, gladly. 'But the pack…they'll kill him.' I wouldn't send my brothers to attack when there was a chance of the pack turning on them...I wouldn't send my brothers if they could be hurt.

I forced my thoughts back to Bella, sound asleep in my arms. I started to lean forward and kiss her forehead…then paused. The others had dispersed from the hallway, each heading to their own rooms, but Carlisle's words remained with me. 'Every ounce of control was taken from her…she might be upset if I suddenly kiss her.' I had no idea what exactly Jacob Black had done to her…other than the actual rape. But with the bruises and slight concussion, I could, unfortunately, imagine.

Physical contact of any kind; kissing her, touching her, even holding her…all of that would have to be instigated by her. I closed my eyes, pained at the thought. There was nothing I wanted more than to hold her in my arms like I did now…to kiss her and keep her close…to chase away all the horrible memories that she would now hold with her forever. But I would have to be careful…as careful as I had been when I'd first fallen in love with her…even more so. I couldn't slip up this time. No matter how I felt, I had to be strong for her. And when I couldn't, then I had Emmett and Jasper.

I'd been shocked to see her in Jasper's arms…to see her cling to him so easily. She didn't blame my brother for the incident at her birthday party, although I knew he thought she did. I didn't interfere…in a way I had still been distrustful of him, wary of their relationship. I couldn't lose her, and if he were to slip up around her again…

But he'd held her with no problem, assuring her that she was safe and that she wasn't at fault…then sat at her side, holding her hand, when she'd screamed…when I'd climbed into bed beside her, never stopping to think how that would scare her…when I'd put my arms around her and felt her start to fight, her terrified screams ripping at my heart. He'd calmly sat beside her, apologizing for my thoughtlessness, assuring her that it was okay, that it wasn't her fault…giving me a minute to calm down before I completely broke apart…because that's what I thought I might do. The girl that I loved above everything in the world had been…raped. I forced myself to think the word, letting the pain wash over me, reminding myself that if I couldn't face this….if I couldn't be there for her when she needed me, then she may not recover from this, and that was too painful to accept. 'She was raped. He raped her. The faster I make myself accept that, the better. I have to make sure she knows that this doesn't change anything…not how I feel about her, or how much I love her…how much I want to marry her. This doesn't change any of that.'

Carlisle entered the room after about a half hour. 'I need to get her x-rays. If she has broken ribs or any fractures, I'll need to take care of it as soon as possible.' I was loath to wake her when she was obviously so tired, but he was right. Broken ribs could be dangerous, especially if they shifted and hit her lungs. I started to touch her face to wake her, then froze, my eyes slipping shut.

'I can't.' I reminded myself painfully. Carlisle's thoughts were sympathetic, and he moved to sit on the bed beside me, his hand on my shoulder.

'Just call to her Edward.' He advised silently, and I forced my jaw to unclench.

"Bella." I spoke her name quietly, then began to raise my voice just a little. "Bella? Wake up, love." She stirred a little and I waited, keeping still beside her, waiting for her hands to unclench in my shirt. It took her a moment, but she finally opened her eyes, looking up at me with a slow smile for a second, a confused, happy look that was so familiar that my heart literally ached…and then I watched her eyes dim and her shoulders hunch forward as she remembered.

"We're sorry to wake you, sweetheart. But I need to take an x-ray of your sides. I was worried that you might have some damage to your ribs." She glanced at me, then back at the bed, obviously trying to gather her thoughts. Carlisle waited with endless patience until she started to sit up, and I dropped my arms, letting her move. "Here." He held out a hand, offering to help her, but not touching, and almost without thought she put her hand in his, letting him support her.

* * *

_Bella_

Carlisle was endlessly patient and impossibly gentle as he helped me into a room off of his office that I hadn't known existed. He smiled a little at my surprised expression, his arm around mine and his hand resting on my elbow. "I almost don't want to give you a full tour…it would be much more entertaining to let you find all of our rooms on your own." I smiled, a little weakly, but still appreciative as I leaned against him. Thankfully the pain medicine was helping, but it hadn't quite taken away the pounding in my head, and my hands still shook. He rubbed his thumb over my arm as we entered the large room that contained a small X-Ray machine, a bed that looked similar to one you would find in a hospital, and a large cabinet that I assumed was full of medical equipment. "I find it's usually best to have a small private office, just in case." He told me quietly, leading me to the X-Ray machine where he helped me sit on a small table. I found the urge to curl up on my side when he gestured for me to lie down, carefully draping a lead apron over me. He paused in his movements, gently touching my face that I belatedly realized was wet, and I closed my eyes, both ashamed and, for reasons I didn't understand, terrified. "Bella?" He asked quietly, withdrawing his hand. "Would you like me to call for Edward?" I doubted he would need to call…Edward was probably standing outside the door. I nodded a little, and instantly, Edward was crouching beside my head, his hand hovering over mine. I flipped my hand, hesitantly taking his, and he squeezed gently.

"I'll be quick, Bella." Carlisle told me softly, moving over to the side of the machine and adjusting it. Edward ran his thumb over the back of my hand, his gentle eyes on me.

"You can go back to sleep when he's done." He assured me softly. "Or you can just rest. We can go downstairs if you want." I turned my head a little, looking up at him, then realized that I needed to stay still. I stiffened, waiting for a rebuke from Carlisle, but he only paused for a second.

"It's okay, sweetheart." Carlisle assured me. "Just try and relax. I'm nearly finished. Just one more." Edward moved toward me hesitantly, finally resting his forehead against mine, and I closed my eyes, breathing him in and relaxing as much as I could, reminding myself that I was safe here, that everyone was home and easily able to defend me if someone were to come, that none of them would ever hurt me. "Okay. I'm finished Bella." Carlisle informed me softly, looking at a screen near my feet. "It doesn't look like you have any damage to your ribs…maybe some bruising. But none of them are broken." He moved to my side, his hand resting on Edward's shoulder as he looked at me. "Are you in pain anywhere else?"

"My head hurts." I mumbled, letting my eyes slip shut. I was still so tired…I still wanted to curl up under blankets and hide, preferably with Edward nearby.

"May I?" Carlisle had his hands near my head, but waited for me to nod before he pressed his fingers against my temples, gently running them over the back of my head, then to my forehead. "You have a slight concussion…I have some pain medicine if you'd like. I can inject you with it, and it's a little stronger so it should take care of the pain quickly." I nodded, wanting all of this over as soon as possible. Carlisle looked up at Edward, obviously telling him something silently, then moved to the cabinet.

"Do you want to go back to bed, Bella?" Edward asked. I nodded, gripping his hand, and he started to lift me before pausing, something that I both appreciated and regretted. "Would you like to walk? Or I can carry you." I elected to walk, but let him help me to my feet, and his arm was around me, supporting me, until we reentered his bedroom, and he helped me into bed. The thick blankets were once again pulled up to my chin, and I curled up on my side. Carlisle came after a moment, but only asked for my arm, injecting me with the medicine quickly, then leaving us alone, promising to return if I needed him.

"Will you lay down with me?" I choked out the words, and immediately I was in Edward's arms again, forcing myself to relax for several long minutes before I actually did. "I'm sorry." I mumbled, ashamed to be crying once more, but he shook his head, kissing my hair so lightly that I barely felt him.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." He assured me once more, waiting for my tears to slow. "If you need to talk, I'm here." He told me, his voice just above a whisper. "About anything." His grim promise reminded me once more how much this was hurting him, and I snuggled closer to him, even when part of me wanted to scream when he touched me.

He must have sensed my anxiety, because he rolled onto his back, one arm behind my pillow and just barely touching my shoulder. "Better?" He asked quietly, and I exhaled gratefully, able to lie against him without feeling restrained. I nodded, resting my head on his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry Edward." He sighed, but I shook my head. "No, I'm sorry he hurt you too." He looked down at me, his eyes tormented, and then lay his head back on the pillow, his jaw clenched. "I love you." The words sounded choked and forced, but his arm tightened around me briefly, his body starting to turn, as though he was going to pull me into his arms, then stopped, moving his head instead, resting his forehead against mine, the closest contact I could bear at the moment.

"You are my life." He answered, the words fervent.

**Thank you! I hope you all enjoyed.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you so much to all of my reviewers. I'm glad you seem to be enjoying the story :) Thank you to guests AnneCullen and Samantha1987. I appreciate the reviews. **_  
_

_Bella_

The sun seemed to have disappeared and I wondered what time it was as my eyes drifted open. Edward hadn't moved a muscle, still holding against the side of his body, and I was curled up beside him. He glanced over at me as I woke fully, stretching out a little at his side, smiling softly although his but I felt strangely disoriented and reluctant to fall asleep again. "Are you still sleepy?" Edward asked softly, and I shook my head, not really feeling bad about the lie. I didn't want to sleep again. "Would you like something to eat? Are you thirsty?" It felt surreal; to have him ask me that when just this morning…I cut the thought off ruthlessly, even as I tried to reconcile the strange feelings. I couldn't just curl up and sleep forever…I couldn't stop living. And I was so thirsty; my mouth felt like cotton and my throat ached…but the thought of facing everyone right now… "Esme and Carlisle are the only ones downstairs." He told me quietly. "Emmett and Rosalie are in their room, and Alice and Jasper are in the library." I sometimes wondered if he was just pretending he couldn't read my mind. "Do you want to go downstairs?" He asked.

"What time is it?" I wondered, shifting against him and blinking heavily.

"About nine." I nodded.

"Okay." I mumbled, sitting up stiffly. The pain medicine Carlisle had given me before my nap had worked well, but it seemed to have worn off. I wondered if he would give me more as I tried to hide the fact that I was in pain from Edward. All of my bruises seemed to ache, and my ribs protested every movement. His eyes were troubled as his arm went around me, his fingers closing around my elbow as he led me to the door and down the stairs.

_Esme_

Carlisle held me in his arms on the sofa as I fought back silent sobs. Bella was coming downstairs now and it would only hurt her if she saw me like this. I clenched my hand in his shirt and fought to breath normally, taking deep, shuddering breaths. My husband didn't speak, only ran one hand up and down my back as I fought for control, Bella's footsteps coming closer and closer as she and my son descended the staircase. For a moment, I considered cooking for her, but I realized that Edward would probably want to do that. Instead, I took another deep breath and tried to focus on the book I'd brought downstairs. It was one I usually enjoyed, but at the moment I longed to throw it through the window and watch the glass shatter…my muscles ached to _do something,_ anything, to protect my daughter, the girl who was so desperately trying to keep it together after being attacked by that…monster.

I hated him. I hated that boy with a passion I didn't even know I had, and I had to fight to suppress a snarl, the growl building deep in my chest, the air in my lungs waiting to be released in a hiss. I shuddered with it, this consuming hatred and loathing for the man that had dared to attack one of my beloved children. Of my family, I was the least experienced in fighting, and, like my husband, I truly hated causing anyone harm. But I could imagine ripping that monster limb from limb, sinking my teeth into his throat and watching him die. I felt a wave of frustration and clenched the book in my hands, not realizing that I was damaging the cover until Carlisle gently placed his hand over mine, carefully removing the volume from my hands.

Bella stepped into view then and I could so easily imagine pinning him to the ground and ripping him apart, making him feel as weak and helpless as he'd made my little girl feel. She'd stood no chance against him, and he would stand no chance against us. Her eyes stared determinedly at the floor, her arms crossed as Edward kept one arm around her. My arms ached to hold her now, the monster forgotten as I longed only to comfort the too pale child in my living room. Edward led her over to the sofa, gesturing for her to sit, and she sat by my side. Carlisle had dropped all pretense of reading his own book and was now looking at Edward, the two communicating silently, but I didn't care. My husband stood then, sparing a gentle smile for Bella, and followed Edward into the kitchen while I watched the girl carefully.

She literally shook, her entire body trembling, something that hadn't quite stopped since the afternoon when Jasper had brought her home from the hospital and put her to bed. Her body was stiff and her posture unconsciously defensive, as if waiting for an attack that could happen at any second. "Bella…" I started to reach out to her, my heart breaking when she flinched, but I forced myself to smile softly, making sure she knew that I didn't take offense…that I understood. I sat back against the couch then, turning on the TV at a low volume and pretending to watch. It took her about five minutes, but she finally started to relax, even though her arms were still wrapped around herself and she still shook. Only a few minutes later, she shifted next to me, and immediately knowing what she wanted, I lifted an arm to drape around her, pulling her to my side where she leaned against me, tucking her legs up beside her, every movement deliberate and stiff. I pulled a folded quilt from the back of the sofa; glad we'd placed them throughout the house, and wrapped it around her. "Do you need some more pain medicine, sweetheart?"

I wasn't all that surprised when she sobbed suddenly, turning her face and hiding in my shoulder. "Oh sweetheart." I murmured, stroking the girl's back as she shook, her fingers clenching around my blouse. "Shh, baby girl. It's okay. Shh." I whispered against her hair, feeling more helpless than I'd ever felt in long life. "Baby, it's okay." I tried again, biting my lip and fighting back a sob. I could hear that Carlisle and Edward's near silent conversation had come to an abrupt end, but I continued to rub her back, whispering whatever bits of comfort I could think of.

Something shifted in the room then, and Bella took a deep breath, leaning more heavily on me and nodded. "Please. It hurts." The rage that I normally would have felt was subdued, and I felt, instead, an overwhelming wave of love for my son. I could hear him on the stairs, not interfering, but standing by, trying his best to help her. He was taking her embarrassment and humiliation and calming her down, helping her relax enough to ask for help, and I let him feel my appreciation and love for him.

"I love you too, Mom." His voice was barely audible, even to me, but I felt his warm affection that seemed to wash over Bella as well, as she relaxed further, and her trembling seemed to lessen. "Do you want me to bring the medicine?"

"Ask Carlisle." I cautioned him. Carlisle had just given her pain medicine before she'd fallen asleep a few hours ago and I didn't want to accidently give her too much, even though I hated seeing her in pain. As Jasper stepped into the kitchen, unseen by Bella, I shifted a little so that she was lying against me more, trying to help her get more comfortable. "Are you still tired?" I asked quietly, and she nodded, sniffing. "It's okay. After you eat something you can rest some more." I kept my voice soft and gentle. "We can watch a movie if you want." I felt her nod against my shoulder and hugged her gently, waiting for Carlisle and Edward to enter the room once more.

_Bella_

I shifted against Esme, trying not to think about the dull ache in my stomach, or the throbbing in my back and shoulders…and the pain that came every time I moved, the bruises littering my body making it hard to shift without flinching. Esme's cool arm around my shoulders and her cold hand on my arm helped, even if she did feel as hard as stone. Her touch was too gentle to cause anything but comfort, and soon I felt myself doze a little, until footsteps approached once more. I knew they were being deliberately loud enough for me to hear, and I appreciate it. Carlisle took a seat on my other side, not touching me, but close enough for me to be able to sense his presence. Edward sat on the floor by Esme's feet, handing me a bowl of soup that I thanked him for, slowly beginning to eat, keeping my mind only on the food.

As soon as I was finished with the soup, Edward took my bowl to the kitchen, moving slowly enough for me to track his movements, then took up his spot on the floor once more. Emmett, Alice, and Jasper entered the room after that, Emmett holding a movie that I immediately recognized as an old classic, a black and white film that I'd seen once or twice while flipping through the channels around Christmas, that was guaranteed to have very little romance, something I was grateful for. I didn't know if I could handle…I pushed the thought away. 'I'm fine. I'm safe.' I told myself firmly, relaxing a little more when Carlisle draped a blanket over me and Esme tucked it around my shoulders. Emmett sat on the floor next to Edward, a little closer to me but not touching me, and Jasper sat on the sofa, between all of us and the door. Alice stepped up to the huge glass wall and closed the curtains hanging from the ceiling, the gesture surprising me until I realized that it had been making me anxious, seeing the huge dark wall of glass that could be hiding anything.

I couldn't deny that I was safe, with Jasper by the door, Emmett and Edward at my feet, and with my second parents on either side of me. Alice murmured something and Esme placed a hand on my head, helping me lay on a pillow on her lap, my feet curled up, not touching Carlisle's leg but close, and she began to run a hand through my hair, her nails gently brushing against my scalp. I let the soothing motion lull me to sleep as the actors on screen spoke too softly for me to make out the words.

_Rosalie_

'I need to talk to her.' I bit down on my lip, my arms tightly crossed and my eyes shut. I stood in the dark in the middle of the forest, trying to force my jaw to unclench. 'I need to say something to her…surely I can say…_something.' _The thought that I didn't even like the girl…that I resented her choices and her stupidity for choosing to give up her human life for whatever existence we had, none of that had crossed my mind when Emmett had told me that the wolf had…had raped her. I'd only seen my old fiancé's cruel smile, felt his hands on my hair, felt him rip my shirt open, his hands bruising my arms as he'd shoved me against the wall, then to the ground. Ever understanding, Emmett had held me against his chest, his arms promising protection from a dead man, and I'd been unable to stop imagining it. Jacob was huge. Even to us, he could be dangerous. But to the fragile little human girl with very little physical strength…I could imagine him ripping her clothes, shoving her to the ground…it wasn't hard to put the little human in my place.

But what could I say to her? What could I tell her that she didn't already know? That it hurts? It hurts during and then after the shocked numbness fades away, it still hurts. And if you happen to have a vampire neighbor who takes pity on you and changes you into one of his undead family, then once the terrible burning fades, it still hurts. In your mind. You remember every time someone touches you. Every time the man you love kisses you, holds you, tries to comfort you. You remember when your father, who you love so much but can't seem to forgive for saving you, puts a gentle hand on your shoulder, or when your brother kisses your cheek. And sometimes, even when your mother or sister steps too close….when they hold you in their arms, when they touch your face. The reminders don't stop. They slow down. You start to function normally again. You can be around your family and sleep with your husband. You may or may not take terrible but bloodless revenge against your attackers. But it never quite stops.

It had been so many years, but I could still remember. Jasper could feel it sometimes, I was sure. Once we'd been watching a movie, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and I, all sitting on the couch a little while after Jasper and Alice had joined us. And the man on the screen had grabbed the woman's arm, shoving her against a building, his hand ripping at her dress. Jasper had abruptly turned off the movie when he'd felt my reaction, his gentle apology surrounding me in the silence, but I'd been racing through the door and out into the garden, torn between wanting Emmett's arms around me and wanting to be totally alone. I'd stopped in the woods, miles away from home, and had stood with my arms around myself, fighting back sobs.

Emmett had stood a few yards away, silent but there. Always there. He wouldn't leave me when I was like this. His presence promised that I didn't need to worry about defending myself right now…I didn't have to watch my back or look out for threats. I could focus on calming down, on taking long, deep breaths until I turned, and immediately he'd known what I'd wanted. Immediately his arms had been around me…immediately he'd been rocking me back and forth, his lips against my hair, whispering over and over again that he was sorry, that he would never let anyone hurt me, that I was safe. That had been the best part about my new indestructability…and then about Emmett. I was safe. Always safe.

Carlisle had been speaking softly with a contrite Alice and Jasper when I'd returned to the house, Emmett on my heels, but I'd ignored them. Cruelly brushed off Alice's hand that reached out to touch my arm, and Jasper's silent comfort. I'd felt the worse about jerking away from Carlisle, shoving past all of them to flee to my room. After Emmett had apologized for me softly, he'd joined me, holding me on the bed for the rest of the night.

So what could I tell the little human girl that had been so hurt by her friend, someone she thought she could trust? That you just can't trust people? That you almost got used to the terrible flashbacks that would appear at random, but in other ways they were too painful to cope with. That she would be constantly afraid that her fear would drive Edward away, or the rest of them away, and that she would wait for them to wonder why she still let something that had happen so long ago upset her.

I took a deep, shuddering breath as I turned, moving back toward the house as quickly as I could. I didn't want to be alone anymore…I wanted Emmett. I raced toward the house, ignoring the feeling that someone was chasing me…that somehow my dead ex fiancé would find me…

I pushed the front door open, taking note that Bella was sound asleep between Carlisle and Esme. Jasper, who sat on the sofa closest to the door, and Alice, who sat between him and Carlisle, glanced up at me first, followed by Emmett who started to stand. I moved to the floor beside him, in front of Bella and beside Carlisle who placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. Leaning my head against Emmett's shoulder, I brought a hand up and touched his, squeezing gently when he did. "Are you okay, sweetheart?" He asked softly, his voice just above a murmur, and I nodded, fighting back a sob. Jasper's comfort filled the room once more, and I relaxed at Emmett's side, watching the TV and listening to Bella's steady breathing.

_Carlisle_

Rosalie sat on the floor in front of me, my hand still clenched in hers. I knew that my daughter had never quite forgiven me for changing her…for not letting her die. It was times like these that gave me hope that someday, she would finally forgive me. She still struggled, and I felt so terrible for my daughter, my first little girl who I so wanted to have a relationship with. I was grateful that she had Emmett…that the huge, burly man she'd found in the forest had turned into such a wonderful, loving mate for her. I was grateful that Edward and Jasper regarded her with fondness and brotherly love, and that Esme saw her as a daughter. But I selfishly wanted a part of her too.

The girl on the sofa whimpered, curling up in her sleep, and I saw Edward stiffen, his eyes closing. Emmett rested a hand on his shoulder for a moment, and I knew that the two of them would have much to discuss if Edward could just bring himself to speak about it. When I'd held my son in my arms, keeping him between myself and Esme while Emmett had held Bella, he had refused to speak…or had been unable to. He couldn't bring himself to talk about it…couldn't say aloud how much pain this was causing him.

Esme continued to run her fingers through the girl's long, beautiful hair, soothing her in her sleep, and doing her best to keep the nightmares at bay. Jasper was doing the same from my side, the waves of comfort in the room reaching all of us. All of us except for Edward who wouldn't be comforted. Rosalie's hand loosened around mine as I leaned forward, but I kept my thumb rubbing circles over the back of her wrist, letting her know that I was here if she needed me. Esme had Bella at the moment. If my other daughter needed me, then I would be there.

She'd asked me before killing them. I hadn't felt it my place to tell her no…especially when I thought back on how they'd left her in the alley to die, nearly naked, her clothes and hair soaked with alcohol and I didn't want to think what else. She'd been crying…I could never forget that. How she'd looked up at me with such fear, even through her shock. There had been so many of them, and she'd been losing so much blood…how could I have left her there, such a beautiful, ambitious young girl…how could I let that be her end? How could I tell her that she couldn't make the men who'd done this to her pay? So I'd said yes. Of course. And I'd never asked anything else. She'd disappeared in the evening, as soon as the sun had dropped below the horizon, and had returned a few hours later in the early morning, his smile grim. And I hadn't asked. Edward, who'd been with us in the living room, studying from one of my anatomy books, had glanced up, his eyes meeting hers for a long moment before he'd simply nodded a greeting. She never spoke of it again. And I never asked.

Bella quieted, and I supposed it was a combination of Esme's gentle hands in her hair and Jasper's mood control. Jasper had been furious. From the second I'd first seen him when I'd arrived at the border, I'd felt the hatred and fury he'd barely been able to reign in for long enough to drive us to the hospital. He cared for Bella, more than he was ever able to let on, but he did. He loved her so much…wanted to find a way to get close to her like Emmett was able to…but after her birthday party, he'd been so guilty and miserable, so sure, even after we'd returned, that she would hate him. So he'd kept away, unable to realize that the worry and fear she felt around him was her own insecurity. She was afraid that he was upset with her, afraid that he disliked her, or blamed her in some way for putting Alice in danger. Of course she never said anything to him…but she did to Edward, and although I couldn't quite blame my son for wanting to keep her away from the one who'd nearly hurt her in the first place, I didn't agree. Still, I hadn't seen it as my place to interfere.

But when he'd learned that she saw him as her brother…that she loved him just like he loved her….he'd been distraught. And as I'd held my son in the hospital corridor while my youngest daughter was drugged and suffering through an exam to see how badly that monster had hurt her, I'd been more angry with Jacob Black that when I'd first heard Emmett's hesitant confession on the phone. He'd hurt not only my youngest daughter, but also the rest of my beloved children…my wife…myself. He'd attacked my entire family.

Sam had called when Bella was in the shower with Alice, and I had answered immediately, ready to tell him that if he didn't kill the boy, then I would. I wouldn't let Jacob get away with this…I had no compassion for a man who attacked a young girl and raped her…there was no excuse, no possible justification for this. "Cullen?" Sam's voice had been dull and sad, and I'd felt a bit of sorrow for him. He may hate me, but he hadn't had any part of what Jacob had done to her, and he was obviously worried about Bella. "How is she?" He'd asked hesitantly.

"As well as can be expected. We have her here."

"Billy's still fishing with Charlie…"

"Yes. We'll keep her here until Charlie returns. If she wants to return with him to her house, then Edward will probably insist on staying with her, and we'll all keep an eye on her." I reassured him kindly.

"He attacked a human." Sam informed me dully. "He could have killed her…and it was intentional. We don't have much of a choice."

"I know." I wasn't being cruel…I knew their rules almost as well as they did. I'd studied the wolves extensively, learned their history and their traditions. They weren't like us…they believed they existed to protect humans, and their laws revolved around that.

"Not to mention the treaty…" He sighed. "Jacob broke the treaty. He attacked one of your family." I was surprised to hear Sam acknowledge it…to hear him admit that she was a member of our family. But he sounded so tired… "We've agreed…we'll wait until his father gets back. Billy should get some explanation."

I didn't know if that was better…if it would be better for Jacob to die mysteriously…surely they could shield the man, keep his son's crime a secret from him. Bella wouldn't want him to suffer too…and then her father…I sighed at that. Her father was a whole different issue we would all need to deal with…when he returned.

"As long as he's taken care of." I'd said simply, my own voice sad. I knew that both Emmett and Jasper would be happy to take care of him. Edward…well he would probably enjoy it, but his gift would make it too painful for him to be near Jacob Black. It was a lucky thing he couldn't read Bella's mind.

"I'm so sorry." Sam's voice had been tormented, and I'd tried to assure him that it wasn't his fault. "I know…but…I'm sorry." And with that he'd hung up the phone, the quiet dial tone sounding in my ear.

_Emmett_

Rosalie took a long time to relax against me. She'd wanted to be alone before, but just like the early day's I'd spent with her, it was difficult to know when to follow her and stay nearby and when to leave her completely alone. Carlisle held her hand, and I was surprised she continued to allow it. Her relationship to Carlisle wasn't something we discussed…any attempt on my part usually led to her anger, and I did my best to avoid that at all costs. Not only because her temper was short…I hated seeing her upset.

Eventually Jasper's gift managed to calm al of us down….all of us except for Edward who remained rigid at my side. I glanced back at Bella, my back against the sofa where her arms were crossed feebly in front of her chest, her knees pulled to her stomach under the blanket. Carlisle and Esme had her. Rosalie, as if sensing my thoughts, leaned back against the sofa, keeping Carlisle's hand and resting her shoulder against his leg. He ran a gentle hand through her hair, his expression worried, and I knew that she would be okay. I looked over at Jasper who held Alice at his side, and he nodded. But Edward shook his head. The only one able to hear my thoughts was sometimes the hardest to reason with, and I sighed, gesturing toward the door. 'You can't just bottle everything up, Ed.' I scolded him silently. He may have been a vampire longer, but I was mentally older…sort of…I'd been twenty when the bear had nearly killed me, and Edward only seventeen at the time of his change, so I insisted that I was older than him. He usually didn't argue the point, never caring enough to bother. 'You need to talk to someone. You're going to implode.' I tried teasing a little, and he glared at me, teeth bared. 'Calm down.' I scolded him again, moving toward the door, and with a heavy sigh, he followed until we were racing through the woods. For the first time, I thought that maybe I should have drug Jasper along.

"What do you want, Emmett?"

"You know what I want." I snapped, losing patience with him. "This is killing you! You think I can just sit by and watch you pretend that it isn't? I remember how it feels…"

"You have no idea how it feels!" He roared at me, and I forced myself to stay calm. He didn't mean it…I knew he was moody and tempermental and it was hardly his fault. But he hadn't been this sharp with me since meeting Bella.

'She really is good for him…' I thought mildly. "When I found out about Rosalie…"

"Rosalie wasn't raped by someone you knew! You couldn't have stopped it!"

"You couldn't have either." I reminded him softly.

"I drove her to see him!" He screamed, and I knew that the rest of the family could hear his tormented words…I knew that this would hurt our parents. But he needed to yell…I certainly had. "I let her stay with him! I _knew_ he liked her…that he wanted to convince her to stay with him…"

"You didn't know how far he would go…"

"Why not! I should have! I should have known." His words broke off at the end and he stood stiffly in the middle of the forest, his head in his hands. "I should have known…I let him hurt her." My brother was strong and fierce, a fighter nearly as good as Jasper, with a gift that made him a serious threat to anyone that would do his family harm. But he was still my brother…he'd been my first friend in this life…the first person to sit with me when I couldn't figure out how to help Rosalie…the first person to put his hand on my shoulder and promise that it would get easier, that no one blamed me for not having enough control. And I'd never seen him in this much pain.

I stepped forward, wrapping my arms around him, a rare gesture of comfort that I was happy to give. I wouldn't allow anyone to hurt my mate. I'd fight to the death for my sisters and my mother, and would stand beside my father through anything. But that didn't mean that anyone who hurt my brothers wouldn't pay. I loved them just as much as the rest of my family. "You did not _let_ him do anything. It wouldn't have been right to keep her from visiting her friend. She would have been upset." I murmured, trying to reassure him. "You had no way of knowing that Jacob would hurt her." Edward shook his head, denying my words, and I shook him sharply, glaring down at him. "Did he ever threaten her? Think about hurting her? About raping her? Did he ever give you any indication that he would do this to her?"

"No, but…"

"And if he had…" I spoke over him. "Would you have allowed her to see him?"

"Of course not!"

"Then how are you at fault?" He didn't answer, but he stopped fighting me, choosing instead to stare at the ground. "She'll be okay. We'll take care of her until she's okay…until both of you are okay."

"The newborn army…and Victoria…"

"We will worry about that. Jasper and Carlisle have some ideas. We won't let anything else hurt her. Okay?" He sighed, and I understood. Edward didn't like letting other people fight for him. He wanted to be in control, to know what was going on and face it head on. It was the kind of person he was. But I also knew that he couldn't do everything…he needed to spend time with Bella and help her heal. And he needed to recover as well. So hopefully he would step back and let the rest of us handle this strange threat against our family. And Victoria. I thought about how much trouble she and James had caused our family...of Bella on the floor of the ballet studio, the scent of her blood heavy in the air, her painful screams that had echoed though the room and Edward's tormented face as he'd desperately tried to comfort her, watching helplessly as she'd slipped into the unconscious for days. I would enjoy killing Victoria.

**Thank you for reading :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**_Thank you to everyone who reviewed and has waited patiently for an update. I am already swamped with homework, so updates will not be quite as frequent as before. I'm sorry about that. But I appreciate your reviews and patience :) Thank you so much to AnneCullen and ARandompanda. Sarahem1, you have pm turned off, so I wanted to say thank you for your review and your feedback :) _**

_Jasper_

When we'd first joined the family, only hours after meeting them, I had known almost nothing about the Cullens. Alice had wanted to live with them. She knew that we would be happy there, among others who had self-control and humanity. She knew that _I_ would be happier…sometimes I wondered if Alice had only chosen this life for me. I was the one who had so much trouble killing humans. I was the one who felt their tormented emotions, their terror and fear and desperate hope that they could still escape right before I sank my teeth into them. Killing them before biting them hadn't helped much. There was still always that moment of fear right before…when unfamiliar cold hands touched their face…when their neck snapped. But Alice loved our new family as soon as we'd moved in…and had made it apparent how much she appreciated them. Carlisle and Esme had quickly begun to regard her with fond amusement and them, more quickly than I had imagined, actual love.

To my surprise, despite feeling awkward and standoffish with these people whose house we were suddenly living in, I was quickly accepted into the family as well. Carlisle began to see me as a son just as he saw Edward and Emmett, and they both reached out to me whenever they could, inviting me to drop the book I was reading and play video games, although I had no idea what those were, or to spar with them. Their sparring and playing was completely different than I was used to…it was all playful. They never hurt one another. They surrendered when they were beaten. They traded insults and jokes like real brothers, and the first time I gave in and sparred with Edward, I was surprised to find that extending to me. He'd won, and I'd been surprised to find a sparring partner that was as talented as I was. Most of the newborns I'd fought had been strong and unruly, but undisciplined. Edward and Emmett were completely different…but even when Emmett beat me for the first time, surprising me with his incredible strength, he'd only touched his teeth to my throat before grinning and pulling away. It had been then that I'd realized I would get no more scars here.

Rosalie…she'd been…civil. Her emotions were strange to me, sometimes angry, other times fearful or heavy…I didn't understand. And one day, after I'd begun to form a relationship with Emmett, I'd approached him during a hunt, trying to put the disgusting taste of deer blood out of my mind. "What happened to Rosalie…if I may ask." I spoke quietly, my tone hesitant. I wasn't sure how he'd react to such a personal question, but I knew better than to try asking her. But he'd only sighed, his emotions dimming as he ran a hand through his hair, his gaze sad.

"She, uh…she was engaged to this guy, before Carlisle changed her." He told me quietly, crossing his arms. "The night before their wedding, he and a bunch of his buddies were…pretty drunk. And um…she ran into them out in town…" I'd closed my eyes then, too easily able to finish this story. I couldn't remember too much about my human life, especially not before joining the confederate army. But I'd known that I'd never touched a woman in anger or lust…never dreamed of hurting anyone like that. Then as a vampire, sex had been the furthest thing from my mind…until Alice had come along. But I knew all about rape…seen the horrific results in the streets at night as I'd traveled with Maria, killed men about to force themselves on women, drinking from them in the hopes that I would somehow be redeemed…watched as the terrified women or girls…or children, stare at me, horrified as my teeth sank into their necks, the emotions making it almost impossible to drink. "He raped her…they all did. Left her for dead in the alley…Carlisle found her and saved her."

Emmett had left it at that, and I'd never brought it up again, immediately realize how it hurt him to talk about it. I was sure Alice had seen our conversation…she knew most things before anyone else, and Edward had seen in my mind that I knew as soon as we'd returned, but he'd only nodded hello, going back to his book without comment. And then there had been that day in the living room…I'd picked a random movie, turning on the TV and holding Alice at my side. Television wasn't especially entertaining, but I was learning to enjoy it, and the movie was somewhat interesting. But then, the man on the screen had grabbed the woman's arm, ripping her shirt and shoving her against the wall, and Rosalie's emotions had changed drastically, her hurt and terror and pain had had me lunging for the remote, shutting off the TV. But it had been too late…the distraught girl had fled the room before I could apologize, Emmett on her heels, and I'd dropped back against the sofa, head in my hands as Carlisle had entered the rooms.

"I'm sorry…I didn't know…" I'd told him desperately, and Alice had explained quietly. He'd sighed sadly, sitting on the sofa beside me and touching my shoulder.

"You couldn't have known." He'd told me gently, trying to reassure me, and I'd shaken my head, still upset with myself.

"When she wakes up, I'm going to give her some more medicine." I was jerked out of my own memories by Carlisle's voice, looking over at Bella who lay between him and Esme. The blanket was pulled up to her shoulders, but the skin around her throat was darkening, brown darkening to black and blue and purple, the blood visible through her skin. "She was in pain?"

"Yes." Esme spoke with some difficulty, and I couldn't blame her. The girl was huddled under the blanket, still shaking, still frightened, even in her sleep.

"I have to be careful…it's pretty strong. I can't give her too much, and I don't want to knock her out for too long…she may sleep all night and some of tomorrow though." It was good for her to sleep. Maybe she could escape in her dreams. But judging from the way she whimpered in her sleep, huddled into a ball and shaking, I was wrong…there was no escape for her. Her emotions were unpleasant, and I concentrated on her, on her fear and pain, trying to minimize them. I would need to leave the house soon…I couldn't take this for much longer, and I knew Alice was anxious for me, her hand on my back.

"Should we take her to bed?" He hesitated to answer her as I idly watched the credits roll. Edward and Emmett were still out, Rosalie silent by Bella's side on the floor, her head still against Carlisle's knee.

"No." He finally said, adjusting the blanket around her legs. "It would be best to leave her on the sofa. I don't want her to wake in our arms….it may frighten her." I closed my eyes, my jaw clenched as I fought a wave of anger. I couldn't afford to project right now. But I just remembered the summer when he'd spent so much time with us…the many times she'd fallen asleep against Edward or Alice…the many times Edward or Esme had carried her upstairs to Edward's room so that she could sleep in peace…no one had ever worried about startling her or making her uncomfortable before…how long would it be before she could be touched again without being uncomfortable?

I stood, Alice's hand firmly in mine, and gave Carlisle an apologetic grimace. He nodded, his sympathetic expression too much for me to handle as I tore out of the room. I could feel it all…their despair and worry and anger…Bella's helplessness and pain and fear….it was too much. I ran through the forest, Alice's hand in mine as she kept pace. She was the only one I wanted with me. She was devastated and afraid, just like everyone else, but I wouldn't leave her alone…I couldn't. I'd be too worried about her to relax. No…leaving her was never an option. We stopped a few miles away from the house, out of my emotional range, and I pulled her into my arms, her head under my chin as she bit back sobs. "Sorry…sorry Jasper." She hated causing me pain, hated that I had to feel her emotions, but I shushed her, holding her close and kissing her hair.

"Shh, darlin. It's okay."

"It's hurting you." She protested, her arms tightly around me, and I rocked her back and forth, just grateful to have only my own and her pain bearing down on me.

"It's hurting you too…it's hurting everyone."

"I can't see!" She looked up at me, her eyes wide and frightened. "I can't see…she hasn't decided anything! I don't know if she'll be okay…"

"She will." I declared firmly, taking her hand. "Alice she will be fine. Our sister will be fine. We'll make sure of it! Okay?" She took a deep, shaky breath, nodding, and I kissed her gently, then less gently. Not that I could think of anything like that…I just wanted her closer. Her emotions evened out, the pain receding a little, and I felt like I could breathe again, the heavy weight in my chest disappearing just a little.

"What are we going to do…when Charlie gets back?" She asked quietly once I'd pulled away a little.

"Carlisle won't let Charlie force her into anything. Once he learns what happened…hopefully he'll be more understanding." She nodded thoughtfully. "We won't let him hurt her…we won't let anyone else hurt her. Okay?" She rested her head against my chest, sniffing softly and linking her arms around my neck.

* * *

_Edward_

I pulled away from Emmett, mumbling an apology, but he shook his head, his thoughts sympathetic. I could hear Jasper in passing, and I could only imagine that he'd needed to get away. Emotionally, this had to be torture for my brother, and I wished I could apologize to him…or thank him. I needed to thank him actually…I glanced up at Emmett. "I didn't thank you." I told him suddenly, and he frowned, tilting his head in the dark. "You went and got her…and called Carlisle. You guys took care of her. Thank you." Emmett put his hand on my shoulder.

"You do not have to thank me for that." He told me softly, squeezing my arm. "Of course I took care of her…she's like my little sister." I smiled grimly.

"She is your little sister…that's how she looks at it." It had been obvious from the beginning that she loved Emmett, that my family was like her family. It was the most obvious with Esme, but she loved Carlisle as well, even if she was a bit hesitant at first, shy and nervous around the, to her intimidating man. Emmett and Jasper had been the same, and although Jasper was harder for her to get to know, since I'd warned him to stay away from her. 'And now…' I couldn't…I didn't think about it. Instead I started back toward the house, needing to see her again. I knew she was hurt, that she would need me so much more than she had before, not just to be there, to protect her, but also to know when to give her space and when to back off.

Emmett followed me, and together we came back into the living room. Esme had her hand on Bella's head, the girl sound asleep between her and Carlisle. Rosalie hadn't moved from the floor, her head resting against his knee, her eyes closed. She was thinking…I flinched, watching the hazy memories loop again and again through her mind. She very rarely thought about that around me for long, and I hurried to her side, sitting on the floor next to her and hesitantly lifting a hand to her arm. Her eyes flew open, and she jolted, her thoughts forced away as she was interrupted, and I squeezed her arm carefully, knowing that she sometimes needed to be alone. But now, she gave me a small smile, and I put my arms around my sister, holding her close as her head rested against my shoulder. Rosalie was rarely nice. She was usually pretty self absorbed, or thinking about Emmett. She hadn't liked Bella from the start, and there were times when she was blatantly mean to my mate. But she was my sister, the first of two, and I would always love her. Emmett had softened her, and I sometimes saw a kinder side of her, especially in her thoughts, but it was rare for her to allow herself to be vulnerable, and almost never like this.

Emmett sat on her other side, closer to Carlisle, and our father put a hand on his shoulder, his thoughts sad. "I'm going to kill that boy…I would do anything if I could kill him." My father's thoughts were never this violent…unless someone hurt one of us. And then he could be just as dangerous as Emmett or Jasper. My father hated violence, but he knew how to fight, and he loved us all too much to watch us in so much pain without acting. And seeing all of us so distraught was hurting him more deeply than even I could understand.

I patted Rosalie's back as she pulled away, her embarrassment rising to the surface as she turned back to Emmett, leaning against her instead, and I turned to look at Bella. Her face was close to me, her head in Esme's lap, and I could see the bruises on her neck, could see them peeking out from under her shirt, and then down her arms. Her wrist especially looked painful, and I reminded myself that Carlisle had checked her over. "She doesn't have any broken bones…sprains?" I checked quietly, and Carlisle shook his head.

"No, her x-rays were fine. She's just…covered in bruises." I nodded, fighting the urge to reach out and touch her in the hopes that my cold hands would ease her pain. Instead, I leaned back against the sofa, uncomfortably aware of all the heavy, painful thoughts of my family. I wanted to take her upstairs…to hold her…to comfort her.

"What am I supposed to do?" I whispered, closing my eyes and dropping my head back. Esme touched my head, her hand gentle in my hair, and her thoughts were full of worry and pain for both of us.

"There's nothing you can do right now, Edward." Carlisle reminded me softly,

"But…" I looked up at him, knowing that my expression was almost desperate. "What can I do!?" My voice was a little louder now, and although I couldn't quite express what I meant, he understood.

"You're doing it." He told me quietly. "This is all you can do. The wolves are going to take care of Jacob, and tomorrow we are going to spend time here, with Bella, and make sure she knows that she is safe. Her father will return on Sunday, and then we'll have to speak with him. I don't know that she'll be able to. A week or two after that, we'll take her back to the hospital and check her blood and make sure she's healing. That is all we can do." I shook my head, my throat tight and painful, and he was sympathetic but firm in his thoughts. 'You can't rush her Edward. Trying to force her to heal will make this situation much worse.' I knew he was right…of course he was right. That didn't mean I had to be happy about it.

She stirred in her sleep, making a tiny noise as she shifted, her feet pressing against Carlisle's leg under the blankets they had her bundled in as she tried to roll over, nearly going over the edge of the couch. "Bella?" I asked softly, my hand hovering over hers, and she opened her eyes just a little, squinting gat me blearily.

"Edward? Why…sofa?" She mumbled, shivering under the blankets.

"You fell asleep down here. Do you want to go upstairs?" She nodded, humming quietly, but she didn't move. Carlisle silently advised me to be careful. "Do you want me to carry you?" She hummed against, and I stood hesitantly, aware that all eyes were on us. Esme moved her hands as I carefully picked the girl up, keeping her wrapped in the blanket, hoping that would help. Bella's head rested against my shoulder, and it was so familiar to me that I had to clench my jaw, reminding myself that everything was different now…that I had to be so careful.

I raced up the stairs and was in the hallway leading to my room when she stirred again. Her eyes opened abruptly and she stiffened, a tiny noise escaping as she began to shake once more. "Bella? Bella it's me." I told her quietly, trying to make my voice soothing. "I'm just taking you to my room. Do you want me to put you down?" It wouldn't have taken two seconds to get her to the bed, but I worried at the way she was looking at me without seeming to see me. "Okay, I'm going to put you down, and you can walk." I moved carefully, setting her on her feet and backing away a little with my hands in the air so that she could see them easily. She seemed to calm a little, taking note of where she was and what I was doing.

"Sorry." She mumbled, looking back down at the floor, and I was at her side in an instant, momentarily forgetting how careful I had to be.

"Don't be sorry. Would you like to go back to bed?" She nodded, and with an arm hovering around her back, I led her into the bedroom where she sat on the bed, crawling under the covers I pulled back for her and falling asleep almost instantly.

* * *

_Bella_

The churning, painful feeling in my stomach woke me, and I was retching beside the bed before I realized what was going on. Tears fell down my cheeks as I trembled, collapsing on the edge of the bed, feeling like the energy had been completely drained from my body. "Bella? Oh sweetie, here." Something cold and wet touched my face, and then was pressed against my forehead. "Carlisle?"

"Bella?" A hard, icy hand touched my face, and then my neck. "No fever…Edward calm down. Nausea isn't that uncommon after…" His voice faded out and I could hear soft voices on my other side.

"I'll clean…water?" I couldn't figure out what Esme was talking about, but someone was touching my face, and I opened my eyes blearily.

"Hm?"

"Can you take a drink for me, Bella?" Carlisle asked gently, his hand hovering over my shoulder, and I nodded. "Here, let me help you sit up." He waited for me to nod again, and then a hand was holding me up, the arm keeping me stabilized against his side as he placed the cup to my lips. The ice water was heaven against my throat, and I sighed as the water washed away the taste in my mouth. I let my head drop against his shoulder when I was finished, and he lowered me back to the bed. "There you go. Go back to sleep. I'm going to inject you with some pain medicine okay?" I think I nodded…I couldn't really tell if my body was responding. I was so heavy and tired. Edward was speaking then, and I mumbled his name, wanting him with me.

He seemed to understand, because he was laying next to me in the next minute, and I curled up against his side, my head going to his shoulder. His arm was under my head, but not holding me, and I was grateful beyond words that he understood…that he seemed to know exactly what I needed.

"Love you." I mumbled, gripping his shirt, and he turned his head, his forehead touching mine.

"I love you too." He whispered, and it sounded like he was crying. I couldn't ask what was wrong…I was still so tired. Someone took my hand and I tried to jerk away, but Edward's soft voice soothed me, telling me it was just Carlisle, that he was going to give me some medicine, and a pinprick in the crook of my elbow made me wince before I was asleep once more.

**Thank you all for reading. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, guests and non guests alike. Thank you Anne Cullen :) I'm glad you liked Jasper's POV! So some people have been begging me and begging me not to have Bella become pregnant for various reasons, so I thought I'd address that. First, I already have much of this story plotted out, and although I have some ideas for both alternatives, I'm pretty sure I already know what I'm going to do. Second, one person citied the reason that he 'took the only pure thing from her' and I think that this is a terrible, harmful way to look at rape. People who have been raped or have just had sex are not impure. They are not defective in some way. They have either been the victim of a crime or have chosen to have sex. Also, although it does happen, pregnancy resulting from rape is not as common, mostly because the conditions are not ideal (the man may not ejaculate as rape is often more a show of power than an actual sexual experience.) I have kept all of this in mind while plotting the story.**

**Anyway, I truly hope you all enjoy the chapter. Sorry for the long A/N. **

**Saturday**

_Esme_

I knelt on the ground, cleaning the last of the carpet as Carlisle injected her with the pain medicine. The girl tried to jerk away, but he held her still, his grip on her arm gentle but firm, and Edward soothed her, allowing my husband to give her the medicine she needed. Briefly, the smell of blood in the room grew stronger, but I was getting used to it. Edward's jaw was clenched, his head against hers as he tried to stay as close to her as possible without frightening her or making her uncomfortable. It was hard for him…I knew I couldn't fully understand just how hard, but I could see it in the way he fought back sobs, his need to hold her and comfort her impossible to meet at the moment.

I'd told Carlisle about my first husband over the years, explaining bits and pieces when he would ask, or when I was feeling upset. At first, I had worried that Carlisle wouldn't want to be a second husband, especially when he'd never had another wife or even lover. He had an adopted son who I had immediately loved, and they'd both seemed to love me, but I had worried at first. But that soon became impossible…I'd never been so absolutely loved and cherished and adored. He wanted _me…._that much was obvious, and I couldn't begin to say how much I wanted him. But I'd still felt dishonest…dirty. It had been a little while before I could admit that to him, before I allowed him to reassure me that he didn't care, that it wasn't relevant to him. I'd met him once as a child…he'd been my doctor, and I'd been in awe of the kind, compassionate, and ridiculously handsome man. But I don't think I realized just how much he loved me until the day I told him everything.

I hadn't thought of what my husband was doing as rape. We were married…it was my duty to him. Or that's what my mother had told me sternly when I'd come to her. I hadn't fought him, or tried to escape….not until I realized I was pregnant. There was no way I could allow him to hurt my baby…I'd known that with a fierce certainty. So I'd run away, packing up my things when he was at work one evening and just running. I'd hired a car, then taken a train…anything to get me away from that horrible man who would kill my child. I knew he would…there was no doubt in my mind that he'd kill my baby. So I'd left before he'd even learned about the child.

And then he'd been stillborn. My precious little boy…dead before he ever lived. The cliff had seemed like the best option…I couldn't go on…never mind halfway down I'd felt the horror and terror of what I was doing. But when I'd hit the ground…when my head had slammed against a rock, everything had gone dark, and I'd known nothing else until my body had caught fire, pain I'd never imagined making me scream in agony while a quiet, gentle voice apologized again and again, promising that everything would be okay. That voice had gotten me through it.

Waking as a vampire had been the strangest experience of my life. The pain had receded, leaving only a burning in my throat, and I'd finally be able to put a face to the voice. We'd been in a basement, the room so dark that I could never had hoped to see…but I could. I could see everything. Looking down at myself, I'd realized that I was still in the clothes I'd jumped in, and they were ripped and torn…a sweater I'd bought a year or two back when my husband was still my beau and he'd given me some money as a gift. The shoes were old, my mothers at one time, and I'd liked the look and fit of them. But as familiar as all of that was, it still felt incredibly different…strange, and when the man had moved at my side, I'd found myself a few feet away, hissing fearfully at him. 'Did I just hiss at him?' I'd thought incredulously, coming out of my defensive stance as he'd lifted his hands, showing me he meant no harm, and suddenly I'd realized who he was. "Dr. Cullen?" I asked in surprise, my weak memories of him coming back through a haze.

He'd smiled a little then, his eyes turning gentle. "Hello Esme…Esme?" I jumped when the face came into view, identical to my memory of him, his hand on my cheek. "Love? Are you alright?" Edward was still holding Bella, his eyes closed, and I wasn't sure if he was still distraught or if he was giving us privacy.

'It's been so long…' I thought as I watched my son, who I'd met that same day, press his nose into the human girl's hair, taking a deep breath of the scent I could so easily smell. "I'm fine…just thinking." I smiled at Carlisle, allowing him to pull me to my feet, his arm going around me as he led me out of the room and into his study where he sat in his chair behind the desk, pulling me into his lap. I lay my head on his shoulder, my arms linked around his neck as my mind wandered once more.

He'd explained everything to me, his calm keeping me calm, his kindness reminding me of our first meeting. "Vampire?" I'd said the word incredulously, a smile turning the corners of my mouth as I waited for him to laugh…to give me some sort of rational explanation…but he'd only nodded.

"It was the only thing I could do…the only way to save you."

"And what if I didn't want to be saved?" I didn't snap at him like I'd meant to, my frustration and irritation and confusion all coming to the surface. I whispered it in a small, frightened voice, looking around the room once more. He gave me a rueful smile then, sadness dominant in his eyes.

"I took a risk, I suppose. I…couldn't bear it…leaving you to die. It seemed like such a waste." I didn't tell him that it wasn't a waste…that I was. I couldn't bring myself to tell this near stranger that I'd been nothing more than the wife of a monster, touched over and over by that filthy man, and then given birth to a dead child. "I'm sorry…I know it wasn't my place…"

"No…" I didn't want him to be sorry or upset. I wanted this man to be happy in a strange way I didn't quite understand. "I should be thanking you." His eyes had lightened then, his smile dazzling me for a moment.

"You are very welcome." He'd been thoughtful then, frowning a little. "We'll have to move…you're supposed to be dead. We can't risk anyone seeing you. As you can imagine, our existence must be a secret." It made sense, I thought, looking around the room once more in bewilderment. "Forgive me…I haven't asked what you wanted."

"I…I'm sorry?"

"You can do whatever you want…you don't have to come with us." For some reason, that little word had caused a pain in my chest, an aching sadness.

'Of course he's probably got a wife…or something. I shouldn't have presumed…but I didn't!' I told myself harshly, about to tell him that I'd figure out something when he went on.

He seemed almost as flustered as I was, then gave me a hesitant smile. "Would you like to meet my son?"

"Your son?" I'd asked faintly, more bewildered than anything.

"Yes…it's just us. We travel together."

"Just…then you're….wife?"

"Wife? Oh no…" He'd smiled a little, laughing softly as my mind whirled. "He's…adopted, I suppose you would say. I changed him as well…quite a few years ago. Edward?" And the young boy had entered the room, his golden brown eyes matching Carlisle's. "Edward, this is Esme."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." The boy had smiled, shaking my hand gently, bowing his head a little in greeting, and I found myself impressed. They were obviously both kind people…vampires…whatever.

"You would, of course, be welcome to travel with us." Carlisle had informed me, and Edward had nodded. "Until you've figured out what you want to do…or…for as long as you want." Edward had smirked a little at the ground and Carlisle had sighed, seeming embarrassed. "I should warn you, Edward is…gifted." I'd lifted an eyebrow, staring at the younger man. "He can read minds." Immediately I'd been horrified, trying desperately to shift my thoughts away from the handsome man and my own past and anything I didn't want him to know. "Don't worry. Edward has mastered the art of….discretion." Something in his tone had told me that this hadn't always been the case.

"I try not to pry." Edward had smiled at me kindly, and I'd realized that this boy wouldn't tell my secrets…that whatever I thought would stay between us until I wanted it known. I resigned myself to it then, because I _did_ want to travel with them…or rather, I didn't want to be alone. And I think I had some hope of getting better acquainted with the doctor…which I certainly had. The stray thought made me smile, and my husband looked at me, confused.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" He wondered, and I smiled ruefully, feeling bad for allowing myself to get lost in thought when in the other room, my children were suffering so badly. I'd lost my first child, but over the course of a week or so, I'd been surprised to find that I saw Edward as not only Carlisle's son, but as my own. As my friendship with Carlisle had deepened, so had my affection for Edward, until he had, in my mind, become my son. And later, when Carlisle had asked me to be his wife, Edward had begun calling me Mom, making the change so easily that I'd realized that he, too, had begun to see me as his mother.

"That first day." I answered my husband, and it only took him a few seconds to puzzle out my meaning. "So long ago." He smiled, and I knew it wasn't so long to him…he'd waited so much longer than I had to find love.

"Hm." He hummed thoughtfully, his hand stroking my back.

"She'll be okay." I tried to make it a statement, but he answered me anyway.

"She will." Once again I was thinking of that horrible man, and I buried my face in Carlisle's neck, trying to forget. It had been such a horrible time in my life…such a painful, frightening time. "I would never let anyone hurt you." He whispered, his lips on my hair, and his arms tightening around me. "Never, my love." I had often wondered, throughout the years, if Carlisle too could read minds. I'd jokingly asked him once, and he'd laughed. "Only yours." He'd teased me with a smile, kissing me, his arms holding me close.

I glanced at the clock on his desk, relaxing in his arms a little as he held me in his lap. It was nearly three a.m. We had a whole day and a half until Charlie came home, and already I was dreading it. This was going to be incredibly painful for him…his little girl had been hurt in the worst way possible, and he would have no idea how to help her. He would want to _do_ something…but there was nothing he could do. And more than likely, Bella would want to stay with us. According to Jasper, she felt safe here, and I knew there was no way in this world Carlisle would make her go somewhere she didn't feel safe, even if she hadn't just been raped. I had no doubts that if Bella were in a dangerous situation at home, then Carlisle would not hesitate to move her in here…we both wanted her here anyway. Everything felt complete with Bella here, and I knew that when she was finally one of us, then everything would be so much easier…for all of us. It was so difficult to have her in the house sometimes, no matter how much we loved her. The scent of her blood made it hard to be close to her for so long, although she was incredibly understanding when we needed to get away.

But how would Charlie react to us taking his daughter? Because I was sure that's how he would see it. He would want to be the one to make Bella feel safe….but he didn't understand. We could protect her, against shape-shifters or humans or other vampires…we'd done it all. We were probably the strongest creatures she knew of, and she knew we could keep her safe. If a werewolf were to attack her while she was at Charlie's house, she knew that her father wouldn't stand a chance.

Edward had gone to Carlisle when he'd first learned that Bella was friends with one of the shape-shifters, asking for advice on how to keep her away from him, but we had both cautioned him that doing so would only upset Bella. And then, after the fight caused by his dismantling of her truck, he'd finally realized that keeping her away from Jacob was only driving her away, making her resent him. I'd told him that controlling her was not his place….that she would just be hurt. 'Is that the kind of relationship you want?' I'd asked, upset with him despite myself. 'Do you want to control her? Make her fear you?' He'd been adamant that he never wanted to control her, or to have her fear him or resent him or anything else. 'Then stop. Apologize and stop acting like her father.'

Was this my fault then? "He shouldn't have tried to control her." I murmured, trying to work it out aloud. It was a habit of mine…Carlisle was always willing to help me figure things out, and I did the same for him, bouncing ideas and theories off one another. "It wasn't right…he was driving her away, and he had no right to tell her what to do." Carlisle looked down at me, and I could tell from his expression that he had similar thoughts. "But…it _was_ dangerous for her…shape-shifters _are_ unpredictable, especially when they are so young. Even if Jacob hadn't have done this…there was always a chance of him attacking her…hurting her on accident."

"I believe that there was a better way to go about keeping her safe." Carlisle said carefully. "I'm not sure how…" He admitted quietly. "But surely we could have done something differently…Edward was determined to keep her away from him, but his jealousy didn't help…ultimately he was blinded because he was too close to the problem. And…I didn't want to interfere." I touched his face, his tormented tone making my chest ache for him.

"It wasn't really our place…"

"We could have prevented this…if we'd just talked to her. Maybe if we'd explained _why_ it was so dangerous…maybe if it had been coming from us…"

"Maybe she still would have insisted on seeing him…he was her friend." Carlisle nodded, kissing my hair.

"That is a possibility. There isn't anything we can do to change the past now. But….she'll be fine." I repeated my previous words, painfully reminded of my own past once again…I could remember spending days and days in bed, feeling dirty and pained…wanting to sleep until it didn't hurt…those awful days before I had Carlisle…

"Are _you_ okay?" He murmured, holding me closer.

"I so rarely remember…" That was all he needed to know. He hugged me fiercely, whispering an apology. When he'd learned the extent of my husband's treatment of me…things I'd never told anyone but him and, by default, Edward, he'd apologized again and again, although he could do nothing…although none of it had been his fault. On days when I remembered, Edward would be especially kind, although he never said anything. He would find me flowers, kiss my cheek, hold me, and later, the other boys followed suit, although I knew they had no way of knowing _why_ Edward was being especially kind to me. My favorite was when he played piano. I'd learned that he played as soon as we'd moved, and, discovering how much I loved music, he'd played the piano nearly constantly when I was around, bringing old ballads and compositions to life and writing his own, bowing grandly to me and dedicating his performance to me with much pomp and grandeur, making me laugh as I went about cleaning our new home, or reading a book lent from one of them.

Later came Rosalie, then Emmett, and then the strange pair that had just shown up one day, moving in with us immediately, and just spending time with my new children had been enough to make me forget, to make me realize how blessed I was to have such a wonderful loving family in this life. They all loved me, and the boys were especially wonderful, although there were days when Alice would drag me out for a shopping trip, lavishing me with gifts and dresses and treating me to a kind of fun that I'd never had as a human. Rosalie…Rosalie was different. She'd been distant from the beginning, although she was getting better now, day-by-day…although she had her bad days too. Emmett had helped tremendously. Still, she had never let me comfort her, despite her obvious pain, and I could only hope that Bella would accept our help and comfort to help her heal.

* * *

_Bella_

I was dreaming that my stomach hurt…and my head throbbed. I groaned, curling up into a ball, and someone beside me shifted. I had no idea why someone was beside…I had a vague notion that I didn't want anyone beside me…that I didn't' want anyone near me. But my head was against something hard and I could feel something against my back. "Bella?" The familiar voice called out to me, soft and gentle as I shifted again. "Are you okay?" It asked softly, and I groaned again, shaking my head. "What's wrong?" I tried to push away, felling both incredibly tired and afraid to go back to sleep. "Bella?"

"Hurts." I managed to say, taking a deep breath as if that would help.

"What hurts?" The voice wanted to know, but I didn't want to talk…I wanted the awful pain to go away. My entire body ached now, and I felt my eyes grow hot with tears. "Bella?" I didn't answer, trying to roll over, but my body was stiff and sore, and even trying to move hurt. "Carlisle?"

That name had my memoires jolting back, and I was painfully reminded exactly why I was sore. "Bella? What's the matter?"

"She said it hurts…she won't talk to me." A cool hand touched the back of my neck, then my cheek.

"Alright sweetie. Can you take a drink for me?" Someone held me up and I was drinking from a glass of ice water, finishing the entire glass and then collapsing back against someone. "I need to wait a few hours before I give you pain medicine, okay? You've only been asleep for a couple of hour. Can you try going back to sleep?" A frustrated, pained sob escaped, and I hid my face against Edward's shoulder, moving closer to him as he gently rubbed my back. "I know it hurts, sweetheart. But I can't give you too much pain medicine…it can hurt you." I couldn't figure out what had Carlisle so upset…my whole body seemed to be throbbing along with my head, and it didn't make any sense. Then a cool hand touched my head, a new voice joining Carlisle and Edward, and I sighed in relief when someone made gentle circles on my temple, the cool thumb going around and around and soothing the pain.

"Deep breaths, sweetheart." Esme murmured, placing her other hand on my shoulder as she sat on the bed beside me. "Does your stomach hurt or do you feel sick?" She wanted to know, but already the soothing motion was putting me back to sleep. "Bella?"

"Sick." I mumbled.

"Here, Edward. You want to help her. Like this." The hand on my head paused, and another took its place, although it was just as cold. "Gently, but firm. It will only help if she can feel it. Just keep taking deep breaths Bella. The nausea will pass." Esme promised, her hands dropping to rest on my back where she rubbed slow circles, and slowly my stomach calmed as I felt myself teeter on the edge of unconsciousness. "Good." I guessed she was talking to Edward…I was already nearly asleep. "…until she falls asleep….yes." I didn't hear Edward's reply, but the door closed after a moment, and I was once again alone with Edward.

"Does that help?" Edward asked me softly, still the only contact he had with me his hand on my head, his thumb rubbing against my temple and the back of my head.

"Mhm." I hummed. I could feel an arm under my pillow, but I was still comfortable…I felt safe, rather than trapped, and I wanted to be a little closer to him. scooting forward a little, I lay my head on his shoulder, his hand on my head never faltering, and I gripped his shirt in my fist, pressing against his side. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He sounded like he was smiling, but I was too tired to open my eyes and check, so I let the darkness win, succumbing to sleep easily.

* * *

_Carlisle_

I sighed in relief when Esme stepped away, allowing Edward to take over. I knew my wife's entire story, just as she knew mine…we'd exchanged them bit by bit over the years, sometimes sitting together in our bedroom, holding one another as we talked about the worst parts, or laughing through the good parts. Unfortunately my wife's story hadn't had many good parts. After my encounter with her as a child, her life had gone downhill quickly, ending with an abusive husband, a dead child, and her own attempted suicide. While my own father had been a cruel, hard man, and my life until moving to France had been difficult, I had still never faced the horrors she had.

I hated to think of how she knew just how to comfort Bella, how she'd had experience with the pain our daughter now suffered. It was bad enough that she had to suffer like this…I couldn't keep giving her pain medicine…it would be even more dangerous for her if she overdosed, but I understood that the bruises covering her body and the back of her head where she'd hit the ground were painful, and emotional control was going to be difficult for her at the moment. There just wasn't much I could do…the best medicine for her at the moment was sleep.

It was only four in the morning. I sighed as I led Esme downstairs, finding Rosalie in Emmett's arms on the sofa. If I hadn't known better, I would have guessed that she was asleep…she barely greeted us, laying against Emmett's shoulder and tucking her feet beside her. I sat on a loveseat across from them, my arm around Esme who tucked herself beside me, her position mirroring our daughter's. Emmett eyes Esme with worry, and I was reminded that none of our children, except for Edward, knew exactly what had happened to their mother. He glanced at me and I tried to give him a reassuring smile. Esme sat up a little, then stood, moving to our daughter's side and putting a hand on her shoulder. Emmett continued to stare at me, then back at Esme, suspicion in his eyes, and I shook my head subtly. That wasn't my story to tell, and I knew Esme didn't want to talk about her past with our children…she'd barely managed to speak about it to me, and we never discussed it again.

She had told Bella about her son dying and her attempted suicide, which everyone did know about…still, that had surprised me. Bella hadn't really been with Edward for longer than a few weeks at that point. Still my wife was an excellent judge of character. She'd seemed to know, even then, that they would somehow work it out. "Mom?" Emmett had turned to her now, and she smiled at him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Emmett. She's fine. She woke up in some pain, but I believe Edward was able to get her back to sleep. Hopefully she'll sleep for a while. Have you heard from Jasper or Alice."

I could tell from Emmett's expression that that wasn't what he'd been asking, but he shook his head. "Nope…they'll probably be out for a while."

"This is hard on him." I agreed, nodding. "He can take as long as he needs. But I doubt they'll stay out too long…he'll want to check on Bella, as will Alice." Esme nodded, running her hand through Rosalie's hair, and pausing with a sweet smile for Emmett who captured her hand, holding it firmly in his.

**Thank you all for reading :)**


End file.
